Pictured clockwise from top left: Isaac Copper, USCT; book cover of You Can Fly; illustration of U.S. Colored Troops by Jeffery Weatherford.
My great-great grandfather Isaac Copper was born into slavery at Wye House, Maryland’s largest slave-holding plantation–once home to Frederick Douglass. As a young man, he was sold by his master to Union Troops and enlisted in the U.S. Colored Troops 7th Infantry Regiment. He fought in the Siege of Petersburg and marched on Appomattox Courthouse, where Lee surrendered. Isaac went on to co-found the village of Unionville on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
My father fought in the Pacific theater during World War II. He didn’t talk much about his military service or the war. But I thought of him when I wrote the verse novel YOU CAN FLY: THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN, which my son Jeffery Weatherford illustrated.
On Veterans’ Day, I salute my own ancestors and all veteran who fought for freedom and democracy.
children's books by the weatherfords 
Thank you for this personal glimpse into your family and the generations of service. As I research the Korean War, I’ve been impressed with the lives of all the men who served there- blacks and whites.
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Veryy nice post
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My sons second great grandfather is Isaac copper. I have added this picture to his tree. I would love to know where are you? Got this picture and how you know it is Isaac copper. I would like to include this information in our tree. If you will send me a reply to my email address, I will give you a link to my ancestry.com tree, and the data that I and other members of the family have been collecting regards Charles Morgan
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The photograph was in an exhibition and catalog for paintings by Ruth Starr Rose. Isaac was her familly’s gardener at Hope House in Copperville. I checked Census data to make sure it is Isaac.
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