Triplet in Brunswick County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Lt. Col. John Lyman Whitehead Jr. (1924-1992)
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), September 6, 2026
1. Lt. Col. John Lyman Whitehead Jr. (1924-1992) Marker
John L. Whitehead Jr., fighter pilot, was born in Lawrenceville. He joined the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II at the age of 19, completed pilot training at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Sept. 1944, and was deployed to Italy with the 301st Fighter Squadron. In 1949 he became one of the U.S. Air Force's first African American jet pilot instructors. After flying more than 100 combat missions in Korea early in the 1950s, he became the Air Force's first Black experimental test pilot. Whitehead flew combat missions in Vietnam before retiring in 1974. He later served as a national president of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., an organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen.
Erected 2021 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number SN-71.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Air & Space • Education • Military. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical month for this entry is September 1944.
Location. 36° 46.841′ N, 77° 48.07′ W. Marker is in Triplet, Virginia,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Southern Virginia, specifically in the Piedmont, and in Southside Virginia. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Saint Paul's College and James Solomon Russell-Saint Paul's College Museum (approx. 2.7 miles away); Saint Paul's College (approx. 2.7 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 3 miles away); Col. John Jones (approx. 3 miles away); a different marker
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), September 6, 2026
2. Lt. Col. John Lyman Whitehead Jr. (1924-1992) Marker
Other markers no longer nearby. Brunswick County Confederate Monument (was approx. 2.9 miles away but has been permanently removed); a different marker also named Saint Paul's College (was approx. 3 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on September 7, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 6, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 4 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 6, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
