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SAMCAR Realtor awarded Congressional Medal

Monday, April 30, 2007

Realtor Les Williams, a member of the San Mateo County Association of Realtors® (SAMCAR), was among those individuals recently honored and presented the Leonard Houston Carter Award by U.S. President George W. Bush in Washington, D.C. The award recognizes distinguished merit and achievement among African Americans. Williams and about 300 Tuskegee Airmen and their widows were collectively awarded the Congressional Gold Medal at a ceremony in the US Capitol rotunda last month.

Asked how he felt about the recognition, Williams chuckled and replied, “I think it’s about time. Because we were never of the same color, for the longest time, we were left out of the history books.”

The Tuskegee Airmen is the popular name of a group of African American pilots who flew with distinction during World War II as the 332d Fighter Group of the US Army Air Corps. Prior to the Tuskegee Airmen, no U.S. military pilots had been African American. In 1941, in a series of legislative moves, Congress forced the Army Air Corps to form an all-African American combat unit, much to the War Department’s displeasure. In an effort to eliminate the unit before it could begin, the War Department set up a system to accept only those with a level of flight experience or higher education that they expected would be hard to fill. Despite this policy, the Air Corps received numerous applications from men who qualified even under these restrictions. Williams was one of these men.

Born in San Francisco, Williams’ family moved to San Mateo when he was six months old. He attended local schools and later, Stanford University and Stanford Law School.

Williams is popularly-known in San Mateo as a dance teacher. He owned and operated the Les Williams Dance Studio for 25 years after the war. Tap dancing had been his love ever since he was 15 and made a deal with a San Francisco dance teacher that he would clean his studio if the teacher would teach him how to dance.

When war clouds hovered around Europe, Williams knew he was going to get drafted, so he set out to join the Army Corps. His attempts to become a pilot were blocked everywhere he went – from Champaign, Illinois, to Chicago and Seattle. Finally, thanks to efforts of a General he befriended, Williams received training as a fighter pilot and flew B-25 bombers around the different bases in the country. Although it probably saved his life, Williams is still frustrated because he was never assigned overseas. Williams said the Tuskegee Airmen continued to fight racism throughout the war and often found themselves isolated.

“We weren’t of the same color. I just felt like I got shafted. I wanted to fight for our country and I never was given that opportunity,” said Williams.

After the war, Williams got his college degree, opened his dance studio and eventually went on to get his law degree. He later turned to real estate as a profession, but his stint as a Tuskegee Airman remains a highlight, yet challenging chapter of his life.

Williams said after segregation in the military was ended in 1948 by President Harry S. Truman, the Tuskegee Airmen were recognized as part of the newly formed United States Air Force and regarded by some as “the greatest generation of airmen.” However, it is only over 60 years later, on March 29, 2007, that these men were recognized in a formal ceremony by the President of the United States.

Williams said he is thankful that he and his comrades were finally acknowledged. He said they suffered a lot of indignities only because they wanted to serve their country.

Williams is a Realtor with Cashin Company in San Mateo. He and his wife Elsie have been married 62 years. He says although the country has taken great strides, discrimination still exists in 2007, and he looks forward to the day “when color is no longer going to matter.”

The San Mateo County Association of REALTORS® (SAMCAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 3,800 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula. SAMCAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in San Mateo County.

The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

Variations of this article have appeared in local area newspapers.

For further information, please contact Julie Ziemelis, Director of Public Affairs, e-mail , or phone (650) 696-8214.

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