11 featured guests at President Trump's 2020 State of the Union address

By Samuel Smith, Deputy Managing Editor Wednesday, February 05, 2020

Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Charles McGee, who served with the Tuskegee Airmen, attends the State of the Union address with his great-grandson Iain Lanphier in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives on February 04, 2020, in Washington, D.C. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Tuskegee airman and his great-grandson

Trump touted the fact that his administration became the first since President Harry Truman’s to create a new branch of the U.S. military called the Space Force.

He then recognized 13-year-old Iain Lanphier who aspires to go to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado and “has his eye on the Space Force.”

“As Iain says, ‘Most people look up at space; I want to look down on the world,’” Trump said.

Then, Trump recognized Lanphier’s great-grandfather, Charles McGee. McGee, who turned 100 in December, is one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African American fighter pilots who served in World War II.

“After more than 130 combat missions in World War II, he came back home to a country still struggling for civil rights and went on to serve America in Korea and Vietnam,” Trump said of McGee. “On December 7th, Charles celebrated his 100th birthday.”

Trump explained that he signed a bill a few weeks back promoting McGee to Brigadier General.

“[E]arlier today, I pinned the stars on his shoulders in the Oval Office,” Trump explained. “Gen. McGee, our nation salutes you. Thank you, sir.”