Harry T. Stewart Jr., one of the original Tuskegee Airmen, who captured three aerial victories in World War II and was on the winning team for the Air Force’s first ever aerial gunnery competitive, died Feb. 2. He was 100.

Stewart grew up in New York City. At the age of 16, he tried to join the Army as an aviation cadet, shortly after the war in Europe began,  but was rejected because Black men were not accepted for Army pilot training at that time. Soon after the U.S. entered the war, the policy changed, and the Army established a flight training program at Tuskegee Institute, Ala. On his second try, Stewart was accepted, becoming one of the first 1,000 men to train at Tuskegee Army Air Field.

After completing basic flight training there in June 1944, he went on to advanced training at Walterboro Field, S.C. He was assigned to the all-Black 332nd Fighter Group, where he flew P-51 Mustangs; one of the storied “Red Tails” who helped the bombers they escorted achieve a very high combat survivability rate.

On April 1, 1945, the 20-year-old Stewart, his wingman Walter Manning, and others from their Italy-based wing were flying P-51Ds, escorting B-24s on a bombing mission over Austria. On the way home, the flight struck ground targets of opportunity. Ambushed by a dozen FW-190s, Stewart shot down two of the attackers and maneuvered a third into the ground, achieving three aerial victories.

Although 10 of the 12 German fighters were destroyed, two of his fellow flight members were shot down, including Manning, who survived the bailout but was caught and lynched by area civilians.

Stewart received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his achievement that day and for actions across 43 total combat missions. Only three other Tuskegee Airmen downed three enemies in a single day.