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Obituaries

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Willis Saunders, former Boston police leader, Tuskegee Airman

By Kathleen McKenna

 |  Globe Correspondent  

  February 05, 2012

Those who worked with Willis Saunders as he rose to become a Boston police deputy superintendent called him a thoughtful mentor who, through encouragement and example, inspired others to do their best. “He was such a strong role model, particularly for officers of color,’’ said Bruce Holloway, a Boston police superintendent. During World War II, Mr. Saunders served as one of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first all-black aviation unit in US history.

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