CLEVELAND, Ohio - A local Tuskegee Airman who served in World War II was honored and celebrated in a special way on Thursday.
Asa Newman who was part of the Tuskegee Airmen— the first African American unit to fly combat airplanes in World War II—recently turned 102 years old.
To celebrate this American hero, community members lined the street as law enforcement honked their horns and a crowd waved across the street to Newman.
The Aurora Post of the American Legion was there to honor Newman who was surrounded by family and friends.
Newman grew up in Cleveland and attended East Cleveland High School. After World War II, he moved to Chicago and attended college at Roosevelt University. He was one of seven children, with three brothers and three sisters. He is the last survivor of his immediate family. His niece, Rae Ellen, lives locally.
This story was first reported by Rob Powers and Kaylyn Hlavaty at WEWS in Cleveland, Ohio.