February's observance of Black History Month takes on a local perspective this year in the Springfield diocese. Cathedral parishioner Lyman Hubbard, who passed away Jan. 12 at age 85, was a member of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen, the all-black World War II fighter pilot squad.
He is survived by his wife, Eartha Mary (Burton); sons, Lyman Jr., Lee and Mark; 12 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Father Steve Thompson, parochial vicar at Cathedral, got to know the Hubbard family through Lee Hubbard and his daughter, when she entered the church last year. Both attend daily Mass at the Cathedral.
Last year Lee approached Father Thompson after Mass one day, to talk about celebrating his parents' upcoming 65th wedding anniversary.
"But then Lyman became ill and went into the hospital for tests, they determined it was cancer, but were unsure how much longer he would live. He requested to go home to the farm, which has been in his family for nearly 165 years," said Father Thompson.
When a dispute over the farm land arose early-on after its acquisition, Abraham Lincoln was the Springfield attorney Hubbard's great-great-grandmother hired, who successfully defended her property rights in court.
The oldest son of the Rev. Lyman R. Hubbard and Helen M. Locke Hubbard, "Lyman grew up a southern Baptist, but by the time he was in the service, he was already a Catholic, and his wife had also become a Catholic," said Father Thompson.
"I really value the opportunity I had to spent time with Lyman," said Father Thompson, a former Marine who fought in Dessert Storm. "Of all the things he mentioned to me, his faith was so important to him. He talked to me about serving in World War II, where he flew the B-25s, which in itself is impressive. He told me what he and the other first black African American pilots went through, and he said 'unless you had your faith, it was a very difficult time.'"
Hubbard returned home at the end of WWII, but stayed in the Reserves, and was called up again during the Korean conflict. He ended up making a career of the Air Force, retiring in 1970. He served combat tours in Southeast Asia, where he was awarded multiple medals, including the Bronze Star, Air Force Commendation Medal and Vietnamese Honor Medal.
"He taught air science in the missile program at Lowry Air Force Base in Colorado, flew combat in southeast Asia — AWACS and Super Constellations out of Cambodia," said his son, Hubbard Jr. "We all started school at Sacred Heart Grade School in Springfield, but then lived all over the country, where he was stationed.
Hubbard had purchased the Lincoln Colored Home, a national historic property and one of the first African American orphanages in the United States in 2005, when it was in danger of being destroyed.
"He loved Springfield," said Hubbard Jr.
The Springfield mayor and city council declared May 17, 2006 Lyman Hubbard Day in Springfield, in recognition of his service to the country and devotion to the city and its history.
"The community response to his death was overwhelming, totally unexpected, and clearly it was genuine," said Hubbard Jr. At the visitation, "There were so many people who came who didn't know him. They just came to pray their respects," he said.
Hubbard Jr. said his father was very proud of his faith. "One of the things I'm grateful to Dad for, is we read the Scripture every day. Mom and Dad prayed the rosary. When he was younger, he was pretty active in the church. He was a great guy."
Father Thompson brought Hubbard the Last Rites, and presided at his funeral at St. James in Riverton, which is near to the family farm on which he spent much of his youth, and where he and his wife have resided for the last 15 years.