TOP GUN

“Well, we took the examination, did everything they wanted us to do, and when the dust cleared, there were only two of us standing — this white guy and myself,” Harvey said.

Long were the hours and challenging were the tasks for Harvey, a self-described perfectionist.

“If everything is perfect, there’s no challenge after that,” he said. “I never dreamed or thought about washing out in ying school. I knew I was gonna make it because I did everything right.”

Because, as a Black man, he had to.

“You only had so many hours or days to learn something and if you didn’t, you were out. It’s that simple,” Harvey said. “You only had a certain amount of time to learn something and if you exceeded that time, you were gone.”

When asked if he’s still a perfectionist, he grins.

“Well, I’m back at it,” he laughs. “I got married, so that was kind of the