Silver Spring Library Renamed to Honor Tuskegee Airman

SILVER SPRING, MD — The Silver Spring Library was renamed to be the Brigadier General Charles E. McGee Library on Monday, honoring the life of the Tuskegee Airman who lived in Bethesda and died last month at age 102.

“There is no better way for us to conclude Black History Month than by memorializing a Montgomery County resident who was an American hero, a trailblazing African American, and a man who lived an extraordinary life,” said County Executive Marc Elrich in a statement. “We are renaming this building for Brig. Gen. McGee because of the example and opportunities he provided to the generations who followed in his footsteps."

McGee served in three wars, flew in 409 combat missions and helped to defeat the German Luftwaffe in World War II while he was a Tuskegee Airmen.

"Brigadier General Charles E. McGee was a man of honor, integrity, and kindness,” said Councilmember Will Jawando in the statement. “It had been my great honor to get to know him and his family over the last 20 years. The General fought against racism and for equality his entire career and served as a mentor and role model to me and so many others in our County."

The Montgomery County Council honored McGee in 2020 for his his service and work toward racial equity.

"I am proud to stand for the more than 900 pilots and the more than 14,000 people that supported us when our country needed the help and when there were so many who said, 'you cant do it,'" McGee said at the time. "That keeps me out of the rocking chair today because that same message and the value lessons are good for the young people of today who are America's tomorrow. We need to stop telling them they can't do something and lead them in the direction that will allow us very shortly to put a woman on the moon and somebody on Mars."