County names road after Tuskegee airman

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran was joined by local elected officials Wednesday to name part of Charles Lindbergh Boulevard in Uniondale after William M. Wheeler, a long-time Hempstead resident and former Tuskegee airman.

Wheeler was a World War II combat pilot, decorated veteran and as one of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, helped break the military’s prohibition against black pilots. The Tuskegee Airmen became the first black pilots to fly for the U.S. military, which before the program began in 1941, refused to allow blacks to apply for aviation training. Wheeler traveled with the Tuskegee Airmen’s Speakers Bureau making motivational speeches and presentations to groups around the country. 

Members of Lt. Wheeler’s family, including his sons, grandchildren and great grandchildren, were in attendance for the dedication, held on National Aviation Day.