A 93-year-old Tuskegee Airman was robbed twice on Sunday in St. Louis, according to local news reports.
The man, who told news outlets that he wanted to remain unnamed to avoid additional publicity, pulled over after getting lost on the way to his daughter’s house. An unknown man entered the car and stole cash from the 93-year-old’s pocket before driving off in a different vehicle. Later, two different men stole the Airman’s car when he left it to ask for help.
The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of black bomber and fighter pilots who fought in the Second World War.
The car, a Honda Accord, was eventually recovered by the police but not before the robberies prompted outcry.
“St. Louis, shame on us,” Yolandea Wood, Tuskegee Airmen Inc. board member, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in an interview. “If you know the history of the airmen, you know they had the courage to overcome the obstacles.”
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Write to Justin Worland at justin.worland@time.com