Who is Colonel Fred V. Cherry from Bloods: An Oral History of the Vietnam War by Black Veterans and what is their importance?

Fred grows up in Virginia with seven brothers and sisters. His parents are laborers who teach their children to respect whites and know the Bible. When Fred is in elementary school he sees planes flying over the neighborhood and decides that he will someday be a fighter pilot. In college Fred majors in biology because his parents want him to be a doctor but he eventually joins the Air Force. Fred achieves the highest test score in his aviation training group and he is the only black man in his class. By the time Fred is sent into Vietnam he is already a seasoned pilot having flown 53 missions in Korea.