First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington
June 14, 2026
Reverend Karen G. Johnston, Senior Minister
At the intersection of Flower Festival and our marking the Juneteenth holiday, I want to spend just a few minutes raising up to you James Clayton Flowers. Yes, the surname is Flowers and that is why I bring you his story today. It also turns out that given the recent decision by the Department of Defense (or War) to erase Unitarian Universalism as a recognized religion, it is good to raise up this profile of a Unitarian Universalist who served faithfully in the U.S. military.
James Clayton Flowers is the oldest known living Tuskegee Airman, part of that historic group of African Americans who served in the Army Air Corps during World War II at a time when the military was still segregated. The Tuskegee Airmen were renowned for their exceptional skill. Mr. Flowers is also the oldest known living U.S. military veteran, period.
And Mr. Flowers is a Unitarian Universalist. For more than 40 years, he has been a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Las Cruces in New Mexico. And was a member of the Community Church of New York for decades before that. You might have read about him in the spring issue of our Association’s print magazine, UU World, which is where I learned about him.
Rev. Ali Bell, his minister in New Mexico at the time of the article, described his life as “a testament to the fact that the fight for dignity and the fight for democracy are one and the same,” saying, that he will report:
‘People always want to talk to me about being a Tuskegee Airman, but I’m most proud of being a teacher and that I taught RE…’
“He leans into the heroic status of teacher and guide, and not the heroic status of fighter pilot or the ‘first of’ this thing.” (Rev. Bell)
His son says “I think he personally values being a teacher more than when people find out about his military background.”
His life has also been described as being “a profound intersection of faith, resilience, and American history.”
The community where he has lived since 1984 has honored him on his birthday, which just so happens to be December 25th, with a drive by parade past his home, honoring all his contributions over his 110 years. In March of this year, he was awarded the New Mexico Medal of Merit from the New Mexico Army Air National Guard for “exceptionally meritorious service.”
Born in 1915 in rural Virginia, Flowers learned the bricklaying trade from his father, In 1942, he joined the military in 1942, where he was tapped to become an officer. However, when asked decades later, Mr. Flowers says that “I didn’t want to be in the army. My family was sort of antiwar, so I was sort of rolling with the punches.” Flowers left as a first lieutenant after five years of service.
The term “Tuskegee Airmen” is not an official military term – I guess, just like Unitarian Universalism no longer is – but that doesn’t make it untrue. It was created by the original airmen who took part in the Tuskegee Experience (which is different from the horrific Tuskegee Experiment, in which some of the Tuskegee Airmen were purposely infected with syphilis without their knowledge). So while no one knows with absolute certainty who all the Tuskegee Airmen were, it is accurate to say that Flowers is the oldest known living member.
Flowers was not born into Unitarian Universalism. He first discovered it, soon after his military service, when he moved to New York City, become involved in CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) and encountered the Unitarian minister, John Haynes Holmes of Community Church. Flowers and his wife, Evelyn, attended Rev. Holmes’ Friday afternoon lectures. They enrolled their daughter in the preschool at Community Church, which led to the whole family becoming UU. “I’m not an extremely religious person, but they were thoughtful people, and I enjoyed them.”
When asked about what drew him and his wife to Unitarian Universalism, he said, “They were not as prejudiced and were all thoughtful people…John Haynes Holmes was against war. He lectured against war during WWI, isn’t that something?” Flowers went on to teach religious education, to be a delegate at General Assembly, and be “church grandparents” for children in his congregation who didn’t have nearby or living grandparents.
In bringing this tribute to a close, I share these words of Rev. Ali Bell who said,
“It’s hard to be around him and not feel like there’s a purpose for what he’s doing, and it’s easy to remember why we are connected as humans.”
As we celebrate both Flower Festival and Juneteenth, let us keep James Clayton Flowers in our hearts and minds.
