Henry Alphonso Wise Jr. (1920 - 2003)

Born 26 May 1920 in Cheriton, Northampton, Virginia, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Roberta Virginia (Morse) Wise — married 13 Aug 1949 in Norfolk, Virginia, United States

Died 2 May 2003 at age 82 in Cheverly, Prince George's, Maryland, United States

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Biography

Henry Wise Jr. is Notable.

Henry Wise Jr. served in the United States Army Air Forces in World War II
Service started: 1942
Unit(s): 332nd Fighter Group
Service ended:

Henry Wise Jr. was awarded the Purple Heart.

Henry Wise Jr. was awarded the Air Medal.

2Lt Henry Wise Jr. was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Henry A. Wise Jr. was born in Cheriton, Virginia in 1920.^[2][3] He was the son of Henry Wise and Hannah Fitchett.^[4]

He graduated from Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia, and then joined the U.S. Army Air Corps. From 1942 to 1946, he served as a Tuskegee pilot in the 99th Fighter Squadron in North Africa (Tunisia) and Italy. During a combat mission on 26 Aug 1944, his plane was shot down over Bulgaria and he spent three months as a prisoner of war. The prisoners were rescued by Russian troops and Henry returned to his Army base in Italy. Following this incident, he was promoted to first lieutenant and sent home where he was awarded a Purple Heart and a Combat Air Medal for his military service.

Following the war, Henry enrolled in the Howard University Medical School. In 1955, he opened a private practice in Bowie, Maryland, and was one of few doctors who made house calls to his patients. He also served as medical director at Bowie State University. At the time, he was the only Black physician on the staff of Prince George's Hospital in Cheverly, Maryland. Henry retired from private practice in 1992.

For many years, Henry and his wife, Roberta, were volunteers with Maryland's state-sponsored Youth Motivational Program which provided training and scholarships to encourage high school students to continue their education. For this work, he received citations from former Maryland governors J. Millard Tawes and Marvin Mandel. In 2005, the new regional high school in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was named Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School.

Congressional Gold Medal

Dr. Henry Wise died in Cheverly, Maryland in 2003^[4] and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.^[5]

Professional Affiliations and Awards

• Tuskegee Airmen, World War II: Purple Heart, Combat Air Medal, Congressional Gold Medal
• member of the Caterpillar Club: an organization of Tuskegee Airmen who were shot down
• founder of the Prince George's Society of Medical Professionals
• member of the National Medical Association, the American Medical Association, and the Maryland State Medical Association
• honorary doctorate from Bowie State University
• Distinguished Citizens Award from the Annapolis chapter of Links Inc.
• Statesman Leadership Award from the Prince George's Society of Health Professionals

Sources

1. ↑ Wikipedia: Henry Wise Jr.
2. ↑ Birth: "Virginia, U.S., Birth Records, 1912-2015, Delayed Birth Records, 1721-1920"
   Virginia Department of Health; Richmond, Virginia; Virginia, Births, 1864-2015
   Ancestry Record 9277 #368488
   Henry Alphonzo Wise born on 26 May 1920 in Northampton, Virginia, USA.
3. ↑ Military: "U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947"
   National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Virginia, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 815
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2238 #10346682
   Name: Henry Alphonso Wise; Race: Black; Age: 21; Birth Date: 26 May 1920; Birth Place: Cheriton, Virginia, USA; Residence Place: Cheriton, Northampton, Virginia, USA; Registration Date: 1 Jul 1941; Registration Place: Cheriton, Northampton, Virginia, USA; Height: 5 7; Weight: 125; Complexion: Dark Brown; Hair Color: Black; Eye Color: Brown; Next of Kin: Henry A Wise.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Social Security: "U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007"
   Social Security Applications and Claims, 1936-2007
   Ancestry Record 60901 #41100247
   Name: Henry Alphonzo Wise [Henry A Wise]; Gender: Male; Race: Black; Birth Date: 26 May 1920; Birth Place: Cheriton, Virginia; Death Date: 3 May 2003; Father: Henry A Wise; Mother: Hannah Fitchett; Notes: Jun 1938: Name listed as HENRY ALPHONZO WISE; 16 May 2003: Name listed as HENRY A WISE.
5. ↑ Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
   Find A Grave: Memorial #41161058
   Memorial page for Dr Henry Alphonso Wise Jr. (26 May 1920-2 May 2003), citing Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA; Maintained by A. L. Parrish (contributor 46498466).

• Birth: "Virginia, U.S., Birth Records, 1912-2015, Delayed Birth Records, 1721-1920"
  Virginia Department of Health; Richmond, Virginia; Virginia, Births, 1864-2015; Certificate Number: 1920068501
  Ancestry Record 9277 #368488 (accessed 1 July 2023)
  Henry Alphonzo Wise born on 26 May 1920 in Northampton, Virginia, USA.

• 1930 Census: "1930 United States Federal Census"
  Year: 1930; Census Place: Capeville, Northampton, Virginia; Page: 16B; Enumeration District: 0003; FHL microfilm: 2342187
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 6224 #98504641
  Henry A Wise (9), single son, in household of Henry A Wise (43) in Capeville, Northampton, Virginia, USA. Born in Virginia.

• Military: "U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947"
  National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For Virginia, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 815
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2238 #10346682 (accessed 1 July 2023)
  Name: Henry Alphonso Wise; Race: Black; Age: 21; Relationship to Draftee: Self (Head); Birth Date: 26 May 1920; Birth Place: Cheriton, Virginia, USA; Residence Place: Cheriton, Northampton, Virginia, USA; Registration Date: 1 Jul 1941; Registration Place: Cheriton, Northampton, Virginia, USA; Height: 5 7; Weight: 125; Complexion: Dark Brown; Hair Color: Black; Eye Color: Brown; Next of Kin: Henry A Wise;
  Household Members (Name) Age Relationship:
  Henry Alphonso Wise 21 Self (Head).

• Military: "U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946"
  National Archives at College Park; College Park, Maryland, USA; Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, 1938-1946; NAID: 1263923; Record Group Title: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, 1789-ca. 2007; Record Group: 64; Box Number: 06281; Reel: 145
  Ancestry Record 8939 #2500124 (accessed 1 July 2023)
  Name: Henry A Wise Jr; Race: Negro (Black); Marital Status: Single, without dependents (Single); Rank: Private; Birth Year: 1920; Nativity State or Country: Virginia; Citizenship: Citizen; Residence: Northampton, Virginia; Education: 4 years of college; Civil Occupation: Waiters and waitresses, except private family; Enlistment Date: 23 Jul 1942; Enlistment Place: Richmond, Virginia; Service Number: 33220488; Branch: Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA; Component: Selectees (Enlisted Men); Source: Civil Life; Height: 67; Weight: 131.

• Marriage 1949: "Virginia, Marriage Certificates, 1936-1988," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVBB-H47Z : 20 February 2021), Henry Alphonso Wise and Roberta Virginia Morse, 13 Aug 1949; from "Virginia, Marriage Records, 1700-1850," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2012); citing Norfolk, , Virginia, United States, certificate 21233, Virginia Department of Health, Richmond.

• 1950 Census: "1950 United States Federal Census"
  United States of America, Bureau of the Census; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790-2007; Record Group Number: 29; Residence Date: 1950; Home in 1950: Washington, Washington, District of Columbia; Roll: 4811; Sheet Number: 20; Enumeration District: 1-1099
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 62308 #16077383 (accessed 1 July 2023)
  Henry A Wise (29), married, Science Teacher, head of household in Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, USA. Born in Virginia.

• Social Security: "U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007"
  Social Security Applications and Claims, 1936-2007
  Ancestry Record 60901 #41100247 (accessed 1 July 2023)
  Name: Henry Alphonzo Wise [Henry A Wise]; Gender: Male; Race: Black; Birth Date: 26 May 1920; Birth Place: Cheriton, Virginia; Death Date: 3 May 2003; Father: Henry A Wise; Mother: Hannah Fitchett; Notes: Jun 1938: Name listed as HENRY ALPHONZO WISE; 16 May 2003: Name listed as HENRY A WISE.

• Obituary: "U.S., Newspapers.com™ Obituary Index, 1800s-current"
  The Los Angeles Times; Publication Date: 9 May 2003; Publication Place: Los Angeles, California, USA; URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/189971383/?article=6e5c5faa-09d8-42f3-b102-135ccffe6365&focus=0.80000603,0.38947716,0.96034807,0.63409257&xid=3355
  Ancestry Record 61843 #633317186 (accessed 1 July 2023)
  Name: Henry A. Wise Jr.; Gender: Male; Death Age: 82; Birth Date: abt 1921; Birth Place: Cheriton, VA.; Death Date: 2 May 2003; Death Place: Maryland; Obituary Date: 9 May 2003; Obituary Place: Los Angeles, California, USA; Newspaper Title: The Los Angeles Times.

• Burial: "U.S., Veterans' Gravesites, ca.1775-2019"
  National Cemetery Administration; U.S. Veterans' Gravesites
  Ancestry Record 8750 #3413178 (accessed 1 July 2023)
  Henry A Wise Jr burial (died on 2 May 2003) on 4 Jun 2003 in Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, USA.

See also:

• https://cafriseabove.org/henry-alphonso-wise-jr/
• "Dr. Henry Wise, 82; Tuskegee Airman, Medical Director". Los Angeles Times. Staff and Wire Reports. 9 May 2003. [1]
• "Dr. Henry Wise, 82, Tuskegee Airman, Dies". The Washington Post. 2003. [2]
• Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School: https://schools.pgcps.org/Dr--Henry-Wise-HS/2015/About-Us-Content/Vision---Mission/