SEATTLE — George Hickman, one of the original Tuskegee airmen and a longtime usher at University of Washington and Seattle Seahawks game, has died at age 88.

His wife, Doris, confirmed Monday that he died early Sunday morning in Seattle.

Hickman was one of the country’s first Black military pilots and ground crew members who fought in World War II.

In 2007, he and other Tuskegee airmen traveled to Washington, D.C., to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation’s highest civilian honor. In 2009, he attended President Barack Obama‘s inauguration as a special guest.

Hickman was a fixture at Seattle sporting events and greeted fans at Seahawks and Huskies games.

Doris Hickman says her husband was “just a wonderful man.”