Q&A: Decorated Military Pilot Reflects on Path that Led Him to Aviation Hall of Fame

On this West Virginia Morning, Joseph Turner grew up in the hills and hollers of West Virginia. He went on to attend an ROTC program at then-West Virginia State College and Institute. He was one of more than a dozen generals produced by that program. He served as a pilot on the front lines in Vietnam, and then had a lifetime career with the Army Reserves serving in Atlanta and in the Pentagon, as well as being a long-haul Delta pilot.

He was recently inducted into the West Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame. Freelance reporter Douglas Imbrogno interviewed Tuner for 100daysinappalachia.com and learned about how his aviation career, including how he was inspired as a boy by a certain Daredevil, West Virginia pilot.

Also on today’s show, When Cicero Fain started working on his Ph.D., he decided he wanted to focus on the black community in Huntington, West Virginia, his hometown. His goal was to understand what brought African Americans to town and what helped the community thrive. 

In his new book titled “Black Huntington: An Appalachian Story”, Fain looks at the history and evolving culture of Huntington’s black community.  Eric Douglas brings us the story. 

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