Mr. Milton Pitts Crenchaw, one of the primary flight instructors for the famed Tuskegee Airman of World War II and the undisputed "father of black aviation in Arkansas" died November 17 at the full age of 96. I was privileged to deliver the eulogy yesterday during the service that celebrated his life. The manuscript of that eulogy is reprinted, in full, below.
A MESSAGE OF HOPE TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE AND FAITH OF
MILTON PITTS CRENCHAW
©Wendell
Griffen, 2015
St. Mark Baptist
Church, Little Rock, Arkansas
Tuesday,
December 1, 2015, 10 o’clock A.M.
PASTOR
POINTER
REV.
CLERGY,
CHILDREN,
GRANDCHILDREN, GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN, NIECES, NEPHEWS, COUSINS, BELOVED SPECIAL
FRIEND, COLLEAGUES, MENTEES, AND NEIGHBORS OF BROTHER MILTON PITTS CRENCHAW,
SISTERS
AND BROTHERS
I come, with you, to this place and
moment aware that we have each been touched by the long and wonderful life of
Brother Milton Crenchaw. Together, we have
come to comfort and strengthen Brother Crenchaw’s daughters and son, their
children, their children’s children, and his other dear ones whose lives are
most affected by the passing of this family patriarch, neighbor, follower of
Jesus, running buddy, confidante, mentor, and friend. Together, we have come to celebrate the gift
of his fellowship. Together, we have come
to thank God for the way Brother Crenchaw lived, taught, served God and his neighbors, and inspired
us and many others who cannot be here today, in countless ways. Together, we have come to bear witness that
God blessed us, God blessed Little Rock, God blessed Arkansas, God blessed the
United States, and God blessed the world through the life and faith of Brother
Milton Crenchaw.
Let us acknowledge, with thanks, the
children of Brother Crenchaw for allowing us to celebrate their father’s life
with them. And because every team has a
captain, let us acknowledge the loving ways that Sister Dolores Crenchaw
Singleton led the family effort to care for Brother Crenchaw. Brother Crenchaw and Sister Marian Torrence
were blessed to love and care for one another so well that the Crenchaw and
Torrence families share an especially tender bond. Together, we affirm that Brother Crenchaw, as
patriarch, partner, soul mate, running buddy, mentor, teacher, and aviator, has
been a wonderful example of what we would like to project about our capital
city, our State and Nation, and about the noble and valiant people who serve in
the military.
Brother Crenchaw inspired patriots,
preachers, parents, students, politicians, and everyone else who knew him. He was truly “a man for all people,” at home
wherever he went. He worshiped God as a
follower of Jesus with people from every background, creed, and tradition, and
he lived an inclusive faith that welcomed others without pretense or
fanfare. Brother Milton Crenchaw was “the
Good Samaritan” for any bruised, battered, and oppressed person he encountered
on the roadway of life.
A passage in the fourteenth chapter of John
calls, comforts, and challenges us today.
Hear the words of Jesus, the One to whom Brother Crenchaw trusted
himself, his life, faith, love, and hope, found at John 14:12.
John 14:12
12Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I
do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the
Father. [New Revised Standard Version]
I will speak
with you today about The Call from
Greatness to “Greater Works.”
Gardner Calvin Taylor, who was ushered
into Glory earlier this year on Resurrection Sunday also at the full age of 96 and
who is considered by many to have been the greatest African American preacher
of the gospel of Jesus, admitted publicly that he had “always fallen back” from
these words of Jesus, “the one who believes in me will also do the works that I
do, and greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.” These
words are part of the “good-bye talk” Jesus gave his closest friends. They were, understandably, distressed by the
thought of being separated from the one who had re-directed, re-defined and
re-informed their lives.
Imagine, then, how they must have felt
when Jesus told them, “the one who believes in me will also do the works that I
do, and greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.” Remember the people who heard these words?. Peter, James, John, Andrew, and the other
disciples (excepting Judas Iscariot who had left the fellowship by that time),
heard those words. The women who
supported the ministry of Jesus heard those words. Like you and me, these were ordinary people
being told by Jesus, the most extraordinary person in history, that they would
do “greater works” than he did.
But
Jesus was not engaging in hyperbole. He
was not engaging in rhetorical over-reach in an effort to comfort his
distressed loved ones. Nor was Jesus
putting himself down. Jesus was calling
them to look beyond the powerful greatness of his life to the potential—no, the
promise!—that they could be agents of “greater works.”
Jesus, who called people from the far
country of death back to fellowship among the living, told these anxious souls they
could be agents of “greater works.”
Jesus, who spoke with so much authority
that raging winds became a gentle breeze and turbulent waves became a calm sea,
told these anxious souls they could be agents of “greater works.”
Jesus, whose presence and prayer turned
a child’s lunch into an impromptu banquet for thousands, told these anxious
souls they could be agents of “greater works.”
These words are part of the “Do not let
your hearts be troubled” farewell address of Jesus. In a sense, the words “the one who believes in me will also do the
works that I do, and greater works than these, because I am going to the
Father” are part of the last Will and Testament of Jesus. It is as if Jesus was saying, “Do not be
troubled that the greatness of my presence will move from you. “The one who believes in me will also do the
works that I do, and greater works than these, because I am going to the
Father.”
“I
have done great work, now I am going to the Father.” I have restored life, health, and hope, now I
am going to the Father. I have lifted
people from sorrow to joy, now I am going to the Father. I have confronted and defeated demonic forces
that oppressed people, now I am going to the Father.”
“I
am going to the Father, but the work must continue. I am going to the Father, but the great work
of healing wounded hearts and bodies must go onward. I am going to the Father, but the great work
of liberation from oppression must go on.
The great works that I do can, must, and will continue with you, ‘and
greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.’”
They
did not get it at first. It took some
time for them to realize and claim their inheritance. They knew what Jesus proclaimed and promised
in this part of his Will and Testament, but they couldn’t lay hold on it
then. Their sense of grief was too
acute. They were unable to get beyond
the pain of anticipated parting to claim the promises of doing the great work
Jesus did, let alone “greater works.”
But
this bequest of Jesus is true. Jesus
spent his short lifetime and ministry in Palestine. His followers continued that ministry, not
only in Palestine, but elsewhere. Great
works of healing, liberation, and hope nurturing became “greater works” in
Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, and elsewhere. Wherever else and whenever any person or
people build their lives on the radical, extravagant, subversive, and
unconquerable divine love and truth Jesus personified, we become agents of not
only the “great work” of Jesus, but “greater works,” because Jesus has gone to
the Father.
This
brings us to Brother Milton Crenchaw.
Brother Crenchaw built his life of faithful service and powerful
humility on the radical, extravagant, subversive, unconquerable, divine love
and truth that Jesus lived and inspired.
Jesus did great works, but never flew an airplane. Jesus did great works on earth; Milton
Crenchaw continued those great works and then “greater works” by teaching aviation.
I will share but one example, because
there are too many to recount here or at any other gathering, of the “greater
works” result of following Jesus that defined the life of Brother Milton
Crenchaw. His obituary reports that
Brother Crenchaw “arrived at Tuskegee Institute in 1939 and enrolled in the
school’s first Civilian Pilot Training (CPT) class.” After completing CPT, Brother Crenchaw
remained at Tuskegee and eventually became one of the primary instructors to
prepare black pilots for aerial warfare.
One of his colleagues at Tuskegee, and
no doubt someone who Brother Crenchaw influenced, was Daniel James, Jr.. Daniel James, Jr. came to Tuskegee after
completing high school in Pensacola, Florida, entered CPT, and later served as
a flight instructor with Brother Crenchaw.
Daniel James, Jr. became, in time, the first black four-star General in
the U.S. Air Force, and commander of North America Air Defense Command
(NORAD). Milton Crenchaw nurtured
General Daniel “Chappie” James to become an example of “Greater works!”
“The one who believes in me will also do
the works that I do, and greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.”
Milton Crenchaw
claimed his bequest from the Last Will and Testament of Jesus to live for
“greater works.” And we who are
beneficiaries of those “greater works” are, in turn, now called by the One who
called Brother Crenchaw. Jesus, who
called Milton Crenchaw to do the great works Jesus did, “and greater works than
these,” calls us.
Jesus
and Milton Crenchaw call us to greater works of liberation. Jesus and Milton Crenchaw call us to “greater
works” of service. Jesus and Milton
Crenchaw call us to “greater works” of sacrifice. Jesus and Milton Crenchaw call us to “greater
works” of mentoring.
Let
not your hearts be troubled, beloved family.
The One who called Brother Crenchaw calls you to “greater works” with
him. Let not your hearts be troubled,
veterans. The One who called Brother
Crenchaw calls us to “greater works” with him.
Let not your hearts be troubled, people of Little Rock, Arkansas, and
the Nation. The One who called Brother
Crenchaw calls us to “greater works” with him.
In the face of separation, we are called beyond the sentiments of
“good-bye” to the greatness of Jesus, and beyond that even, to claim our legacy
as agents of “greater works,” because the One who has gone to the Father calls
us.
On November 17, the One who called us to
“greater works” called our beloved patriarch, mentor, patriot, neighbor, and
friend, from “greater works” to the “greatest observation tower.” I imagine a counsel took place in the
celestial realm. I imagine that the One
who called Brother Crenchaw to “greater works” looked over to Gabriel and said,
“Gabriel. Brother Milton has been
grounded long enough. Restore his
wings!” And Gabriel moved! Before quick
could get ready, Brother Crenchaw was restored to flight status. Before quick
could get suited up, Brother Crenchaw was promoted from aviation history into
the celestial astronaut corps.
Now, from that greatest observation
tower, Brother Crenchaw joins the One who called him, in bequeathing us the
potential and promise to be agents of “greater works.” Now, Brother Crenchaw joins Jesus in calling us to “greater
works.” Greater works of faith! Greater works of love! Greater works of justice! Greater works of peace! Greater works of hope! Greater works of healing! Greater works of service! Greater works of sacrifice! Greater works of joy!
Greater works! Greater works! Greater works!
I close by borrowing from a ritual cherished
by our Navy brothers and sisters. When a
respected shipmate passes away, someone from among the crew recites a poem
titled, “The Watch.” I have amended it
to conclude this commentary about our brother’s service.
The
Watch
For 96 years
Airman Milton Crenchaw has stood the watch
While some of us were in our beds at
night
Airman Crenchaw stood the watch
While some of us were at school or work
Airman Crenchaw stood the watch
Even before some of us were born into
this world
Airman Crenchaw stood the watch
When the storm clouds of war were
brewing
Airman Crenchaw stood the watch
Many times Tuskegee Airman Milton
Crenchaw would cast a distant eye
To see his family standing there
Needing his guidance and help,
But he still stood the watch
This Tuskegee Airman stood the watch for
40 years,
So that all Americans could sleep safely, each and every night
Secure because this Tuskegee Airman stood the watch
Today, we are here to pay our respects,
as it is said, for the final time,
“TUSKEGEE AIRMAN MILTON PITTS CRENCHAW, you stand relieved
Relieved by those You fathered and loved, Relieved by those you trained, Relieved
by those You guided, Relieved by those you led.
Sir, you stand relieved of duty, we have the watch.”
Amen.
