Robert W. Deiz

Deiz was born on June 17, 1919, in Portland, Oregon.[4][8] He was the son of William Carlos Deiz (10 Aug 1881 – 14 Feb 1950), a Jamaican immigrant, and Elnora Noni Deiz (3 Oct 1888 - 15 May 1975).[9] His younger brother, Carl Deiz, was a Lieutenant and a Documented Member of the Tuskegee Airmen who served in Tuskegee, Alabama.[10][8]

In 1943 before his deployment with the 99th Fighter Squadron, Deiz married Ruby Lee Butler Deiz (1920–2012). They had one son, Robert E. Deiz, and two grandsons.[8]

Deiz attended Portland, Oregon's Franklin High School where he played horn and double bass at school and in the Portland Junior Symphony.[11] He was also a track & field star, setting several records.[12] After graduating from Franklin in 1937, Deiz attended the University of Oregon for two years.[13] At Oregon, Deiz became a track & field star, setting records in the 100-yard dash, the 220-yard race and relay races.[14][15] He also continued to play horn and double bass as a member of the University of Oregon Orchestra.[16]

Prior to World War II in the late 1930s, Diez enrolled in the Civilian Pilot Training Program at Swan Island in Portland, Oregon, receiving his pilot's license.[17][4][18]

After graduation from the University of Oregon, Deiz joined the U.S. Army Air Corps.[19] On September 6, 1942, Deiz graduated from the Tuskegee Flight School's Single Engine Section Class SE-42-H, earning his wings and a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant.[20] The U.S. Army Air Corps assigned Deiz to the 99th Fighter Squadron.[21]

During World War II, Deiz flew 93 missions.[22]

On January 27, 1944, Deiz shot down an enemy German Focke-Wulf Fw 190, earning his first kill as a combat fighter pilot.[23][24] The next day, Deiz earned his 2nd kill after shooting down another enemy German Focke-Wulf Fw 190.[25][26] After returning to the United States, Deiz became a B-25 aircraft instructor at Tuskegee.[27]

Deiz served as a model for the popular 1943 “Keep Us Flying” World War II War Bonds poster created by Betsy Graves Reyneau, a white artist known for her portraits of prominent African Americans that circulated as part of the Harmon Foundation's traveling exhibition in the 1940s.[28][29] Originally, Reyneau was in Tuskegee to create a portray of famed scientist George Washington Carver.[30][31]

After the war, Deiz served as a test pilot, becoming one of the first pilots to fly a jet aircraft.[32] He also attended the Army Command and General Staff School in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.[33] Across U.S. Air Force assignments, Deiz continued to perform as a member of various community orchestras.[34]

In 1959, Deiz graduated from the University of Omaha.[35]

In 1961, Deiz retired from the U.S. Air Force in Columbus, Ohio, with the rank of Major after 20 years in the military.[36]

After retiring from the military, Deiz worked in electronics at North American Aviation for three years. After working as a parole officer for three years, Deiz served as a parole supervisor for 17 years. He retired in the early 1980s.[37][38]

Diez lived in Columbus, Ohio, for 30 years until his death.[39]

On April 6

1992, Deiz suffered a heart attack and died after attending an American Cancer Society meeting in Columbus, Ohio.[40]

In 2004, the Oregon Flying Hall of Fame posthumously inducted Diaz in a ceremony at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon. Deiz's widow, Ruby, and son represented him.[41][42]

• Executive Order 9981
• List of Tuskegee Airmen
• List of Tuskegee Airmen Cadet Pilot Graduation Classes
• Military history of African Americans