During World War II, Edna Webster served in the communications office for the U.S. Army Air Forces’ 99th Fighter Squadron— the original unit of the famed Tuskegee Airmen. Her connection to the unit began a year earlier, when she met her future husband, Spann Watson, just days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941.
Edna was a student at Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina, a prestigious historically Black women’s college, when she attended a social function hosted by George L. Washington, who helped establish the Army Air Forces training program for Black pilots at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. It was there that she met Spann, a cadet pilot. Spann was immediately captivated by her. “He was like, ‘Oh, my God!’ when he saw her,” said their daughter, Dianne Capers. “But he was tongue-tied and, being shy, didn’t know how to talk to her. My mother made it easy for him.”
After her visit, Edna returned to Bennett College to continue her studies, but she and Spann stayed in touch through letters. Eventually, Edna returned to Tuskegee to work in the communications office, where the two began dating. As Spann prepared to deploy to the Mediterranean Theater in April 1943, they agreed to wait until his return before discussing marriage.
Spann flew missions over North Africa, Sicily, Italy and Southern France before returning to Tuskegee as an instructor. Reflecting on his wartime experiences, Spann later described Edna to author Tom Matthews: “Waiting for me the whole time was someone braver than me, a whole lot smarter—and even more beautiful than an airplane. She came from St. Joseph out in Missouri, and her name was Miss Edna Webster.” The two married on Dec. 17, 1943.
Spann remained in the military until 1964, and his overseas assignments often meant Edna had to raise their five children on her own. Later in life, Edna worked for the Town of North Hempstead Head Start Program in Westbury, New York, starting as a dietician and eventually becoming the program’s director.
After an honorable 23-year career in the Army and Air Force, Lt. Col. Spann Watson continued his service to aviation with a 27-year career at the Federal Aviation Agency, retiring in 1992. He passed away in 2010 and was laid to rest in Section 8 of Arlington National Cemetery. On July 25, 2025, Edna joined him there, reunited in eternal rest.
At Edna’s funeral service, held in the shadow of her husband’s headstone, U.S. Air Force Chaplain (Maj.) Mario Catungal offered his condolences to the family and expressed gratitude for their service. “I’m leaving you with the assurance that Edna Webster Watson’s earthly remains rest in this place, and we will continue to honor her with the rest of the heroes that rest here.”