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Alix Idrache
Bust photo of a young black man; he is wearing an old-fashioned military uniform, looking to the camera's left, and crying.
2LT Idrache at his 2016 USMA graduation
Born
Haiti
Citizenship United States
Alma mater US Military Academy (2016)
Military career
Branch
Years2010–present
Rank Captain
Unit 228th Aviation Regiment

Alix Schoelcher Idrache is a Haiti-born United States Army helicopter pilot.

Personal life

Idrache's father Dieujuste dropped out of school at 14 years old to find work in Port-au-Prince. [1] Alix Schoelcher Idrache was born in Haiti, [2] devoted himself to schoolwork at his father's encouragement, and also saw the United States Armed Forces engaging in humanitarian missions there. After Dieujuste emigrated to the United States, he was able to bring his son in 2009, [1] who later became a naturalized citizen. In May 2016, the US Army listed New Carrollton, Maryland as Idrache's hometown. [3]

After he graduated from the United States Military Academy (USMA) in 2016, an Army photo of a tearful Idrache went viral, and made the freshly-minted officer the target of hateful comments related to his immigrant and naturalized status. [4]

US Military

Idrache joined the Maryland Army National Guard in 2010 [3]—later joking that they convinced him "because of a free t-shirt!" After completing Basic and Advanced Individual Training, Idrache successfully applied to the USMA with the assistance of his platoon leader and "the unit's full-time office administrator". Arriving in 2012, [1] Idrache graduated from the West Point, New York school (the Maryland Guard's first, at the top his class in physics) [2] on 21 May 2016. Second Lieutenant Idrache was scheduled to be assigned to the Army Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Rucker in July 2016. [1]

Captain Idrache posing with Haitian locals (25 August 2021)

By June 2019, Idrache's uniform bore the insignia of a first lieutenant and the Army's 1st Infantry Division. That month he was stationed in Carentan and liaising with French media on the occasion of the Normandy landings' 75th anniversary. [5] A captain assigned to the 228th Aviation Regiment by September 2021, Idrache joined Joint Task Force Haiti's response to the 2021 Haiti earthquake; the UH-60 Black Hawk pilot supported evacuation efforts as well as translating both French and Haitian Creole. [6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Noyes, Ryan (21 May 2016). "From Port-au-Prince to West Point: Maryland Guard's First Graduate". Baltimore: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  2. ^ a b Yam, Kimberly (26 May 2016). "Viral Photo Shows Haiti-Born West Point Cadet Overwhelmed By How Far He's Come". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 26 September 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020. Men and women who have preserved the very essence of the human condition stood in that position and took the same oath.
  3. ^ a b Lamothe, Dan (26 May 2016). "West Point graduation: The full story behind the viral 'American dream' photo". The Independent. ISSN  0951-9467. OCLC  185201487. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020. 'A moment that I will never forget'
  4. ^ Doman, Don (27 November 2020). "A New Spirit and Hope for Our Future". The Suburban Times. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  5. ^ Villarama, Henry (1 June 2019). "Lieutenant interviewed by French media [Image 21 of 21]". Normandy: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  6. ^ Monroe, Annabel (17 September 2021). "Haitian-born Black Hawk pilot supports JTF-Haiti earthquake relief efforts". Port-au-Prince: United States Southern Command. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2022.

External links

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