When young people step to the plate to recognize the forces that guide their journeys, it can be a powerful motivator for change and guide in passing the torch to future generations. Such was the case on a rainy Saturday at the end of March when a group of young men and women gathered in the pouring rain in Morton, Pennsylvania, to pay tribute to Tuskegee Airman 1st Lieutenant William “Woody” Elwood Rice, Sr. (Retired/Deceased).
illiam “Woody” Elwood Rice, Sr. (Retired/Deceased).
Prior to his earning his final wings on November 27, 2023, I had the honor and pleasure of writing an article on Rice and his service to our country. Enlisting in the military following his 1942 graduation from Neither Providence High School at age 19, Rice never looked back. He served as a member of the 332nd Flyer Group, participating in 34 combat missions, flying in a P-51 Mustang. Being ever so humble, Rice always credited the skills of airplane mechanics over his own skill as the reason he survived those combat missions.
Discharged from the military in 1946, having earned the rank of 1st Lieutenant, Rice returned to Delaware County to marry Araminta Alexander Rice and raise his family. The union lasted 67 years. Rice was the father of six children and the grandfather of nine. He delighted in his family, but aviation was his other delight. Working on the railroad for a short time after his return to Delaware County, Rice found work at Boeing Company Helicopter Division in 1952, where he remained employed until his retirement in 1993, following 41 years of loyal service.
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Thank you for reading an excerpt of Lorraine Lavender-Sams’ article on scoopusamedia.com. To read more of the article, “The Teens for Positive Empowerment Club host street renaming,” please subscribe to Scoop USA Media. Print subscriptions are $75.00 and online subscriptions (Print, Digital and Vizion) are $90. (52 weeks/1 year)
