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PHOTO GALLERY |
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The Early Years |
Herb at USO, Ft. Bragg, NC My Gerri on my old Harley (1967)
This a copy of a budget my wife, Geraldine, prepared. Notice that she spent her $25 allowance on me. $16 to buy material to make me a coat & $9 to buy me a pair of shoes. This is certain proof of her love and devotion. In 2009, we celebrated our 53rd Wedding Aniversary. After I got in trouble singing protest songs, the military restricted me to singing only on the military base. Folk songs only, no Protesting. This picture was taken by the Fort Bragg, NC, Public Relations Photographic dept at General Tolson's (Base Commander) request. The General liked music. On this ocassion, I was backed up by a Military Choir. Only their legs are visible. General Tolson was not the person who restricted my activities. I was Air Operations Officer for the Special Forces at the time and it was my superior officer ( Ltc. Hilbert) who was the thorn in my side.
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The Late Years |
Herb at Bayou St. John in New Orleans Somewhere in Georgia. Loved the scenery, so I stopped and played a few tunes. Day Scene at Blue Bird Music Festival, North Carolina Night Scene at Blue Bird Music Festival, North Carolina
Courtesy of Thaddeus Watkins Photography Mike Taylor, Bob & Herb Metoyer Arts Festival, Detroit, 2008 Herb Metoyersinging on the front porch of a slave cabin near New Orleans, LA. My youngest sister Brenda Metoyer. Brenda often sings with me Son, Hermes Metoyer, performing at the Bluebird Music Fest
Photo of Herb Metoyer (Executive Director of DBWG),
Margaret A. Walker (Renound Author and Professor), and Peggy A. Moore (Founder of the Detroit Black Writers' Guild) Angelo Metoyer (Guitar), Hermes Metoyer (Guitar), Herb Metoyer (Syntesizer & Guitar), Jerry Leduff (Congas) & Andy Perkins (Bass) Angelo Metoyer (Guitar), Hermes Metoyer (Guitar), Herb Metoyer (Syntesizer & Guitar), Jerry Leduff (Congas) & Andy Perkins (Bass) Angelo Metoyer (Guitar), Hermes Metoyer (Guitar), Herb Metoyer (Syntesizer & Guitar), Jerry Leduff (Congas) & Andy Perkins (Bass) Mike Taylor, Herb Metoyer, Odetta's Percussionist, and Odetta (seated). Rare Performance. Show at Museum of African American History, Detroit, MI. Accompanied by Michanda Gant (flute) and Michael Gant on bassoon
Herb at Bayou St. John in New Orleans
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MILITARY MEMORIES |
Picture Taken 2 weeks prior to receiving my wings. Fort Rucker Graduation Program /The day I received my wings AMOC (Avn Engineering Class) 1958 My brother, Bryford gets his 2nd Lt bars 1st. Lt. Bryford Metoyer at the controls. 1st. Lt Bryford Metoyer and his Gun Ship Me and my fellow pilot, Tom Gauchner with our Aircraft Crew Cheifs. (1959) My wife & I in Rome for the Olympics (1960). Me &My H-21 (Vietnam, 1963) Vietnam Memorial in Oakdale, LA. Herb & Gerri at a Military Ball (1966) Me & my H-23 in Libya, North Africa This is an H-19. We landed in this Arabic village to hire guide for our survey team I flew both Fixed & Rotary Wing aircraft. This is an L-20 (Beaver) Self portrait taken in the shies over North Africa Old Pilots Getting Together, Lansing 2002. On right is Al Goode, a special friend Major Herbert Metoyer (2007)
My fiancee and now my wife, Geraldine Williams, did the honors of pinning on my 2nd.Lt bars. (June, 1955). We were both 19 years old. The school did not realize that I was too young to be commisioned until 3 weeks before graduation. The minimum age was 21. Luckily, they were able to get my age waived. My instructor was Wallace Martin. Don't remember the name of the student next to me, but I think the student on the far right was Massengill. Mr. Martin highly resented having to train a Negro and he was very blunt about his feelings. He was also physically abusive, often striking me on the back of my head with his clipboard, calling me names and stomping my hands and many other thing to discourage me. I spent a lot of sleepless nights worrying about Wally and his crap. Then, one day, he demanded that I get another instructor, but I refused and told him I wanted to learn from the best instructor there. That decision worked to my advantage. At graduation, he secretly gave me a pair engraved sterling silver wings, apoligized for his behavior, thanked me for the opportunity to train his 1st black pilot, then took me to the Officers Club and got me drunk on Singapore Slings. We became the best of friends after that and our friendship lasted until he was killed in an aircraft accident several years later. After Flight School, I was selected to become an Aviation Engineering Officer, responsible for repairing and maintaining Army Aircraft. This is my graduation class. As you can see, I was the only African American student. I am in the last row, 2nd from the right end. His future wife, Evelyn Alexis, and our mother did the honors. He, his wife and our mother graduated from Southern University, Baton Rouge, together. We were so proud of our mother. (June, 1959). At a time when there was less than 20 Black pilots in the US Army, two of them were brothers. We went to Vietnam together. Unfortunately, my younger brother, 1st. Lt. Bryford G. Metoyer was shot down. He crashed in the South China Sea in Jan 1964. His body was not recovered. I still miss him. We often flew missions together in Vietnam. After flying a British General on a survey of the Shahara Desert (1959) Here we are unloading our helicopters from C-130's at the start of the search mission for the bodies of the crew whose aircraft "Lady Be Good" was found crashed deep in the Shahara Desert. . The aircraft had been missing since WWII and was discovered by an oil company crew who was out exploring for oil. This was some dangerous flying. Depth preception was difficult, it was hard trying to navigate when the terrain was all sand, few if any landmarks and with no radio Nav equipment. Needless to say, we puckered quite a few times when things did not go exactly right. Got lost a few times, too. General Spizer, US Air Force awarded Tom & I Commendation medals for accomplishing this difficult task.
My fiancee and now my wife, Geraldine Williams, did the honors of pinning on my 2nd.Lt bars. (June, 1955). We were both 19 years old. The school did not realize that I was too young to be commisioned until 3 weeks before graduation. The minimum age was 21. Luckily, they were able to get my age waived.
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