Dallas Tuskegee Airman Homer Hogues dies 2 days after death of his wife

DALLAS - A room decorated with honors remains at the Dallas home of 96-year-old Homer Hogues, a Tuskegee Airman who died Tuesday.

"So many of them are gone that we need to remember them. They need to be remembered," said Hogues daughter, Barbara.

Hogues death comes just two days after his wife, Lucinda, passed away.

"We had to reprogram everything, we had to do it differently. Which was difficult and fast, but we had to get it done," Barbara Hogues said.

Barbara and granddaughter Tiffany said they never knew that Homer was a Tuskegee airman until 2009.

"My nephew saw something on the news about some black airman. He said, ‘Paw Paw are you a part of that?’And he said yes. We were shocked," she said.

Before his passing Hogues explained why he had kept the information to himself.

"He said when he came out of the military there were no parades for them. There was no one saying thank you for what you did. Therefore, he thought no one wanted to know and no one cared," explained Barbara. "I called the national chapter. They told us to send in his paperwork. They sent back, yes he is a documented original Tuskegee Airman." 

"I started researching like my mom did to learn what they did and how important they were for us, and it was just overwhelming," said granddaughter Tiffany Hogues.

The 2011 Hollywood movie Red Tails was a glimpse into the challenges and racial barriers faced by the first Black aviators in the U.S. Armed Forces, the Tuskegee Airmen.

The Hogues family got to attend the movie's premiere.

Over the years FOX 4 has highlighted events, honors and accolades among several North Texas Tuskegee airmen who have since passed away.

MORE ON THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN:

• 101-year-old Tuskegee Airman given special honor on Veterans Day
• Tuskegee Airman returns to Dallas home
• Tuskegee airman living in N. TX dies
• The Tex Factor: Telling the Real History

Hogues was an airplane and engine mechanic. 

His death means there is now only one surviving North Texas Tuskegee airman, Col. Lloyd C. McKeethan.

"I don’t plan on my grandchildren down the line not knowing about the Tuskegee airmen," said Barbara. "I’m going to do everything I possibly can to make sure they are aware of what they did for our country and who they were."

According to his daughter, Homer Hogues never got the spotlight and he was extremely humble.