Mal Whitfield, a Tuskegee airman who won Olympic track and field titles in the 800 meters in 1948 and 1952 and served for decades as a sports affairs officer for the U.S. Information Agency, has died. He was 91.
Fredricka Whitfield says her father died Thursday at the Veterans Administration hospital in Washington.
Nicknamed "Marvelous Mal," Whitfield joined the Army Air Force after graduating from high school in 1943. He was a member of the 100th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group in Ohio and flew 27 combat missions during the Korean War.
The first service member to win a gold medal while on active duty, he also helped the U.S. win the 1,600 relay title in London. The former Ohio State star successfully defended his 800 title in 1952 in Helsinki.