OREANDA-NEWS. "I am saddened to learn that Lieutenant Colonel Eldridge Williams, Tuskegee Airman and local hero, passed away last Thursday just as our nation prepared to celebrate Independence Day," said Miami-Dade Aviation Director Emilio T. Gonzalez. "Lt. Col. Williams honored MIA with his presence this past February when our airport family saluted the surviving members of the Tuskegee Airmen as part of our Black History Month celebration, and we were privileged to learn firsthand of his courageous personal efforts to preserve American freedom. He was the embodiment of patriotism, and like his fellow Tuskegee Airmen, he faced great odds during World War II but completed his mission with a dignity and distinction that is befitting the veterans of the Greatest Generation."

Lt. Col. Eldridge Williams was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant during World War II, performing duties with the Tuskegee Airmen. He was later recalled to serve during the Berlin Airlift in 1948 and went on to complete a 23-year career in the military, retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.