Alexander Jefferson, who served with the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, has died. He was 100 years old. Jefferson was born in Detroit and remained a lifelong resident.
The city announced last fall that it plans to honor him by building Jefferson Plaza at Rouge Park. That's where he flew model airplanes as a child. Mayor Mike Duggan says Jefferson "represented the very best of humanity."
Jefferson flew 18 missions before he was shot down and held as a prisoner of war for eight months during World War II. He eventually returned to Detroit and was a teacher and school principal for decades.