Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.

Newsletter

Inside this issue:

President’s Message 2

Convention Report 4

TAI USA News 8

DOTA News 12

Member News 18

Announcements 21

44TH ANNUAL CONVENTION, LAS VEGAS, NV

AUGUST 18-21, 2015 President

Brig. Gen. Leon Johnson, USAFR (Ret.)

1st Vice President

Brig Gen Randolph Scott, USAF (Ret.)

2nd Vice President

Vacant

Immediate Past President

Vacant

Financial Secretary

Ms. Michiko Williams

Treasurer

Mr. Cedric Flounory

Parliamentarian

SMSgt M. Tyrelle Felder

Public Relations Officer

Vacant

Central Region President

MSgt. Marv K. Abrams, USAF (Ret.)

Eastern Region President

CMSgt. Quincy Magwood, USAF (Ret.)

Western Region President

Mr. Rodney Gillead

Welcome Reception:

The Official Kickoff Attendees were treated to great conversation and a warm welcome from local dignitaries. Resolutions we rendered by:

Nevada Lt Governor, Mark Alan Hutchison

Mesquite, Nevada Mayor, Allan Litman

City of Henderson Ward I - Councilwoman Gerri Schroder

News coverage was provided by News 3 KSNV weekend evening news anchor, Gerard Ramalho.

This year's theme was "Celebrating National Patriots… Cultivating Worldly Potential." The convention drew over 150 members and guests of which about 20 were Documented Original Tuskegee Airmen (DOTAs). This year’s convention sponsors include Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, LucasFilms, United Services Automobile Association (USAA), JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort and Spa, GE, and

the US Air Force Reserve.

Convention themed days were Diversity/Military, Heritage, and youth Day. Activities included business meetings, youth day, Chapter operations training , documenting history, and more. The Exhibit Hall open to the general public, featured vendor displays offering related products and services.

Gathering of DOTAs: An Opportunity to Reconnect

October 2015

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FROM THE DESK OF THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT

Fellow Members,

The recently concluded convention was an opportunity for not just conducting the business of TAI, but to get reacquainted with old friends and make new ones. Following the Lonely Eagles Ceremony during the initial general session the AF Junior ROTC cadets reported on their Tuskegee Airmen Award Ribbon Program. Their report along with all the committee and officer reports can be found on our website.

At the Military-Diversity Luncheon, Brig. Gen. (ret) Tim Boddie as our speaker, talked about his experiences entering the Air Force during the Korean War and the challenges being a black fighter pilot and commander in the recently integrated military. During the luncheon the following individuals were announced as the winners of the TAI Military Awards:

GENERAL BENJAMIN O. DAVIS, JR. MILITARY AWARD

Major Robert L. Moore 62 Operations Support Squadron

Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

CAPTAIN ROBERT W. WILLIAMS MILITARY AWARD Captain Tarah E. Cotton

Air Education and Training Command/FM Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas

CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT FRED ARCHER MILITARY AWARD

Master Sergeant Dionne L. Taylor National Air & Space Intelligence Center (NASIC)

Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

SENIOR MASTER SERGEANT MARGARET FRANCES BARBOUR MILITARY AWARD Technical Sergeant Randy J. Sampson

60th Security Forces Squadron Travis AFB, California

Major Moore and Captain Cotton were able to attend the luncheon and receive their awards. Arrangements will be made to have the nearest chapter present the awards to the other recipients. At the Welcome Reception the attendees were welcomed by the civic leaders that included the Lt. Governor of Nevada Mark Hutchison, City of Boulder City Mayor Rod Woodbury, City of Henderson Councilwoman Gerri Schroder, and City of Mesquite Mayor Allan Litman. The speaker for the Heritage Luncheon was Eastern Region Board Representative Dr. Virginia

TUSKEGEE AIRMEN, INC.

National Office

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Hardy. She led a very interactive discussion of things that could be done to make TAI more attractive to past, current and future members. On Thursday morning the General Session opened with Ranger Robert Stewart of the National Park Service (NPS) updating the attendees on the status of the Tuskegee Airmen National Park and the impact sequestration was having on the NPS’s capabilities at the park. He mentioned activities at the site over the next year which can be found on the NPS website which can be accessed through a link on the TAI website. The Friday morning General Session started with a presentation by Bill Robinson of the Tuskegee Airmen Scholarship Foundation. He introduced the new spokesperson for the TASF and presented a marketing video created for the TASF. The foundation has been actively working through investments, contributions and partnerships to grow its resources to fund scholarships for students nominated by TAI chapters. The Youth Day had a very aggressive agenda that had the participants visiting the MGM Executive Airport. The Youth Luncheon featured a presentation by Hope Stevens of the Claude Platte Chapter representing her employer Southwest Airlines the sponsor of the luncheon. During the luncheon special recognition was given to Central Region youth participant Tyrell Rhodes who passed away shortly after the convention. The region award were presented at the Gala, with the following winners announced by the region presidents.

Eric Mosley - West Region Robin Rhodes - Central Region Claude Vann III - East Region

National Presidential Recognition Awards were presented to the following individuals.

General Larry Spencer - USAF Vice Chief of Staff James E. Love – Department of Defense

The Convention Gala was highlighted by the presentation of the Noel Parrish Award. This year the recipient was Dr. Ruth Jackson, co-founder of Tuskegee Airmen Archives at the University of California Riverside and a member of Los Angeles Chapter TAI The gala featured the return of live entertainment. R & B and soul singer Derek Davis and his Platters tribute group got many attendees including DOTA’s up dancing during their set after the Gala. Pictures of this and all the convention activities will be posted here and on our website. Our 2016 convention will be in Indianapolis at the Westin Hotel the week of 12 to 17 July. Sincerely,

Leon A. Johnson

Leon A. Johnson, National President Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.

FROM THE DESK OF THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT (CONT’D FROM PAGE 2)

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44TH NATIONAL CONVENTION, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

First Major Convention Event: Lonely Eagle Ceremony

Alton F. Ballard

Leroy A. Battle, Sr.

Robert “Bob” Burt

Roosevelt Burton

Arthur Carter, Sr.

William Colbert, Jr.

Milford Craig

Edward P. Drummund, Jr.

Tesslin B. Foreman

Paul L. Green

Melvin Hardy

James A. Harris

Clarence E. Huntley, Jr.

Clayton f. Lawrence, Sr.

John Leahr

John Moseley

John Mulzak

Allie C. Peek

David Stiles

Joseph Shambrey

Lowell C. Steward, Sr.

Jerome A. Thweatt, Sr.

William A. White, Sr.

Leslie Williams

Eldridge Williams

R. J. Williams

Edward Woodward

2014 LONELY EAGLES By G. Wayne Hedgpeth, LA Chapter, Public Relations Officer

This ceremony is held to commemorate recently fallen DOTAs designated as “Lonely Eagles.” The Master of Ceremony (MC) was Sharon Hunter, President of the Hannibal Cox Chapter Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. Prior to going into the full ceremony Sharon introduced the National President of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., Brigadier General (Ret.) Leon Johnson who gave opening remarks. Johnson remarked that the Tuskegee Airmen experience was not black history per say “It was American History” and all should be aware of that. The solemn crowd was invited to stand while the Color Guard ceremony honoring

the American Flag was presented and placed. Following the presentation of the flag all attendees remained standing while the national anthem was rendered by Las Vegas entertainer, Mr. Derrick David. Following the anthem, Pastor Hope Stevens rendered the invocation. The MC then remarked that our mission was to celebrate those members of TAI who have fallen. Ms Hunter then called everyone’s attention to stand as the roll call of of twenty-eight (28) deceased members who have joined the ranks of the “Lonely Eagles.”

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44TH NATIONAL CONVENTION, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

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44TH NATIONAL CONVENTION, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA You

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Grand Gala

HOPE STEVENS CLAUDE PLATTE

CHAPTER

Col Charles McGee (c), Cadet Walter Robinson, and Cadet William Fauntroy sat for a studio interview from NPR’s Dave Becker. See the story at http://knpr.org/knpr/2015-09/tuskegee-airmen-share-their-stories

THE PRESIDENT’S BREAKFAST

THE SPOUSES TEA

HERITAGE LUNCHEON

Dr. Virginia Hardy was speaker. Geraldine Connally Gilliam (left) was luncheon chair.

“DEREK DAVID'S TRIBUTE TO THE PLATTERS

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44TH NATIONAL CONVENTION, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

Love Stories told by Tuskegee Airmen Wives In a world where self help books, CDs and seminars gross more than $11 billion dollars annually and people turn more and more to the internet for help finding happiness, friends, lovers, and mates, having the opportunity to listen and interact with women who have had long loving relationships with their spouses is priceless. We had that opportunity in Las Vegas. The stories told by wives of Tuskegee Airmen helped us find laughter, smiles, and hope with a few tears of joy. The stars of this event were Shirley Driver, Sallie Pratt, Amelia Montgomery, Faye J. McDaniel, Gwenelle Spann, Patt Terrelongue and Kim Russell. Patt and Kim were not wives, it just so happens that they are both daughters of Tuskegee Airmen. Kim moderated the event and Patt read a love letter written by her dad to his sweetheart, her mom. Here’s how it went… We walked in smiling with great anticipation and came out happy flitting about like brilliantly colored butterflies on a clear day. New friendships were created and old friendships strengthened that afternoon. For two hours, I sat in a hotel dining area with more than fifty women and men listening to “getting to happy” love stories. One by one each wife took center stage and shared how she and her beloved met and courted. We could have been sitting in their family rooms drinking tea or lemonade having a conversation. Their stories are unforgettable. Darlene DeFour videotaped the afternoon and one day we’ll share it with you. In the meantime, for the next few weeks I will share a little sizzle from each of the stories.

Excerpt from the courtship of Sallie and James Pratt Mrs. Sallie Pratt, a great storyteller, had us smiling immediately. One of the things we heard

about was the first meal she prepared for Mr. Pratt when they started courting. The

invitation was for lunch and her famous chicken soup. When Mr. Pratt sat down for chicken

soup, he saw a beautifully prepared table and then…a feast! There, next to the chicken

soup, was cornbread, fresh out of the oven yeast rolls, a roast, greens, macaroni and

cheese, sweet potato pie, and a little New York cheesecake. Sallie, you are priceless!

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TAI NEWS FROM ACROSS THE USA

MYfoxDC.COM Posted: Jul 13, 2015 8:57 AM CDT

Updated: Jul 13, 2015 8:57 AM CDT

GAITHERSBURG, MD—A dream will come true for

a man who served his country with honor. 94-year

-old Tuskegee Airman Floyd Collins went on one

last flight in Gaithersburg. Collins was originally

scheduled to fly earlier, however, weather forced

his flight to be re-scheduled. Collins first joined

the Tuskegee Airmen when he was 18-years-old.

He says he is looking forward to the flight and says

he wouldn’t mind taking over the controls and

flying the plane himself!

TUSKEGEE AIRMAN FLOYD COLLINS TO

TAKE SPECIAL FLIGHT TO HONOR SERVICE

TUSKEGEE AIRMEN MEMORIAL PLAZA DEDICATION September 5-6, 2015

COMMEMORATING THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE “FREEMAN FIELD MUTINY” at FREEMAN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT which was the FORMER FREEMAN ARMY AIRFIELD was the site of the Freeman Field Mutiny), SEYMOUR, INDIANA. The celebration program included * Screening of the Documentary Movie “Double Victory” Tuskegee Airmen at War (Sponsored by Veterans of Foreign Wars) in the Seymour High School Auditorium * Plaza Dedication Ceremony at Freeman Municipal Airport * Dedication Ceremony featured

*The 113th Army Band from Fort Knox, Kentucky. * Congressman Todd Young – 9th District Indiana * Indiana National Guard Special Ceremonial Unit with Cannon *Special Presentation: Mr. Leslie Edwards – One of the Original Tuskegee Freeman Army Airfield Airmen *Mr. Tony Kirkland Special Assistant to Indiana Governor Mike Pence *Ms. Melanie Radcliff-Douglas - Regional Director to United States Senator Joe Donnelly *Indiana Patriot Guard Riders *(Ret) Brigadier General Leon Johnson – National President Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.

[by Timothy Molinari at TBMOL93@FRONTIER.COM]

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TAI NEWS FROM ACROSS THE USA

Before students with the 99th Flying Training Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph even enter the cockpit or take a T-1A Jayhawk up into the air, they get a history lesson. Tasked with producing instructors capable of teaching the Air Force’s newest navigators and pilots, the training squadron is a descendent of the 99th Pursuit/Fighter Squadron, the first of four African-American units known collectively as the Tuskegee Airmen.

Lt. Col. Oliver Johnson, the commander of the 99th, emphasizes that lineage from the moment the around 120 students he and about 60 instructors teach each year walk into hangar 12, the squadron’s home. “During our welcome briefing, I give them a history and a mini-tour of the squadron,” says Johnson, who has headed up the 99th since 2012. “I tell them they are in the presence of historical giants, the epitome of American heroes with all they did to overcome racial barriers and discrimination at home and Nazism overseas.”

Indeed, not only did the Tuskegee Airmen’s launch in 1941 set the stage for the eventual desegregation of the armed forces by President Harry Truman in 1948, the nearly 15,000 pilots, mechanics and support crew spearheaded over 1,500 wartime missions in Europe and North Africa. Mementos of the Tuskegee Airmen’s accomplishments are everywhere. There’s a mural in hangar 12 with hundreds of photos of the airmen and their aircraft, plus autographs from Tuskegee Airmen, and the squadron’s auditorium is named after Gen. Benjamin O. Davis Jr., referred to as the father of the Tuskegee Airmen and a commander of the 99th Fighter Squadron and 33nd Fighter Group during World War II. In addition, the nametags worn each day by instructors and students have the image of a P-51 decorated with a red tail, an aircraft synonymous with the airmen (a 2012 movie called Red Tails told the story of the Tuskegee Airmen).

While preserving the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen (known as the Documented Original Tuskegee Airmen or DOTA when their service records have been officially verified) with stories and memorabilia is important, Johnson also emphasizes the need to maintain personal relationships with the surviving airmen themselves. There are six Tuskegee

Airmen in the San Antonio area, and they make periodic visits to Randolph. In June there were a series of events honoring the airmen at the base, including a reception and a dinner to benefit the San Antonio Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.’s educational initiatives. A few of the surviving airmen even went up in the squadron’s red tail airplanes.

Honoring their history also occurs in less obvious ways. A few years ago, a surviving Tuskegee Airman was being given a tour of the squadron’s memorabilia and requested that a Coke bottle be added to the collection. Discrimination during World War II meant the Tuskegee Airmen were barred from entering base clubs for officers and enlisted men. “Coke became a rallying symbol for them. They would fly missions and land and sit around together and debrief and have a Coke,” says Johnson. Now, when students or instructors do a good job, Johnson gives them a bottle of Coke as recognition.

The connection to the Tuskegee Airmen isn’t just limited to those in the 99th, either. Col. Matt Isler, commander of the 12th Flying Wing at Randolph, says the airmen have set a bar that everyone on base aspires to everyday. “They set the standards of airmanship, leadership and professionalism that we uphold today,” he says. “Their service reminds us daily of the dignity and respect required of every airman. Their success, courage and heroism, in and out of combat, inspire us to be better leaders and professionals.” This article appears in the July 2015 issue of San Antonio Magazine

Maintaining a Legacy Air Force pilots in training find inspiration in squadron’s Red Tails history BY CHRIS WARREN

PHOTO COURTESY U.S. AIR FORCE

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TAI NEWS FROM ACROSS THE USA

PORT HURON, Mich. (AP) — Kamau Sadiki traveled from the nation's capital to Michigan to join a dive team charged with officially documenting for the first time the wreckage of a plane that was piloted by a member of the famed Tuskegee Airmen.

For the civil engineer and underwater diving enthusiast from Silver Spring, Maryland, the trip represented much more than 400 miles.

Helping record a piece of history about America's first black military pilots was "a spiritual journey," he said.

Sadiki was part of a seven-person team that spent a week under the waters of Lake Huron detailing what remains of the P-39 that crashed during a training exercise seven decades ago, killing the airman.

The team included Wayne Lusardi, the state of Michigan's maritime archaeologist and the dive's principal investigator; Stephanie Gandulla, an archaeologist with Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Alpena, Michigan; and Sadiki and four other members of Diving with a Purpose, a nonprofit that works to conserve and protect maritime history with an emphasis on African-American contributions.

For all seven members of the team, the August expedition was a labor of love."I literally underwater got tears in my

eyes," said Jay Haigler, a member from Washington, D.C., describing his reaction to seeing the remnants of the plane resting on the lake bottom.

The aircraft was piloted by 2nd Lt. Frank Moody, a 22-year-old from Los Angeles whose

body washed ashore in Port Huron a few months after the April 11, 1944, crash.

The wreckage, which includes the engine, tail, wings, a radio and other parts, was discovered a year ago by a father-and-son dive team, but hadn't been archaeologically documented until last week's outing.

David Losinski, a helicopter pilot with the Oakland County sheriff's office, and his son, Drew, were assisting the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality on an unrelated matter when they stumbled upon the wreckage of Moody's plane. The Losinskis contacted the state and have worked to help protect the site, assisting Lusardi and the team with their work.

"It's a part of history," said David Losinski, who hopes to erect "some type of monument

for the airman who lost his life. Erik Denson came up with his own way of remembering Moody, organizing an informal memorial service on the boat on one of the dive days.

Denson is a longtime admirer of the Tuskegee Airmen, going as far as to collect members' autographs at a convention.

"They were heroes — true American heroes," said Denson, a NASA engineer from Oviedo, Florida, whose 15 to 20 airmen signatures are among his "most cherished possessions."

Denson brought aboard a wreath, passing it around to other divers, who said a few words in memory of a man none of them ever met.

"We come to this solemn place to say, 'Thank you,' for your service, your honor, your courage, your determination. ... May your spirit and soul rest in eternal peace," said Sadiki, who has traveled the globe in search of remnants of African slave ships and other vessels.

Another diver, Dr. Melody Garrett, an anesthesiologist and Air Force veteran from Fort Washington, Maryland, said she hoped the work the team did would help "tell (Moody's) story."

Denson tossed the wreath overboard, and the seven watched in silence as it slowly drifted away, bobbing across the

Finding a P-51 Crash Site

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BY Charles Lumpkin, Jr. The Tuskegee Airmen at the National Association of Black Scuba Divers (NABS) Youth Summit hosted DOTA Ezra M. Hill . The man was one of the original Tuskegee Airman (Red Tails). The gold medallion that he was holding is the highest form of reward that can be given to anyone in the military and it was given to all the Tuskegee Airmen. NABS/YES had the honor of meeting DOTA Hill.

DOTA HILL MOTIVATES YOUTH

TAI NEWS FROM ACROSS THE USA

By Lt Col Eric Amissah, President

The Chapter’s hands on, minds on, full immersion Summer Aviation and Space Camps introduce young people to the exiting world of aviation and aerospace. These camps inspire excitement for and a desire to pursue careers in the critical fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

They provide testable, standards linked, classroom-based academics coupled with relevant practical applications utilizing low and high-end simulators, hands-on projects, one-of-kind tours, aircraft flights, rocket and high altitude balloon launches, and career synopsis by professionals in many aviation and aerospace fields.

Col. Alvin Drew (USAF Ret & NASA Astronaut) and related ceremonies are decided highlights for the year. Brigadier General Salas, New Mexico National Guard

(TAG) officiated the Chartering and Graduation events and Albuquerque’s own Mayor Richard J. Berry was the keynote speaker for graduation.

The Chapter is committed to helping the youth of New Mexico, to resolving the deficit of African-American and minority pilots/aviators, and to the encouragement of underserved

students in New Mexico towards taking a greater interest in STEM education and careers. Chapter members presented STEM talks in 11 local area schools and other venues in 2015 and over 300 students have participated in its

summer programs in the past seven years. The chapter has also awarded over $27,500 in scholarships since 2000.

GENERAL LLOYD W. “FIG” NEWTON CHAPTER FOCUS ON YOUTH

Camp cadets get a first hand look at Air Force Aerial Delivery equipment

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DOTA NEWS

By Richard P Hall; President, Miami Chapter and Howard Cohen,

Miami Herald — DOTA Eldridge Williams died in his Miami home while under hospice care. Eldridge was

97 and leaves one daughter. The Miami Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen Inc (MITAI) assisted in funeral arrangements held July 20, 2015. Arlington is the target final resting place. His companion of 17 years, Rosa White, was by his side. “He made great choices in life,” White

said. “This was a man who entered this world under adverse circumstances and encountered numerous others, nevertheless made decisions and choices that resulted in a level of success for himself and a record of providing assistance to others.” Indeed, after serving during World War II — after Congress passed an act in 1941 to compel the U.S. Army Air Corps to train blacks at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama — Williams once again served his country during the 1948 Berlin Airlift and again in the Korean War.

DOTA LT COL ELDRIDGE F. WILLIAMS PASSES AWAY

DOTA RAYMOND WILLIAMS PASSES AWAY

By Wanda Hightower, Recording

Secretary, Atlanta Chapter — On Friday morning, June 26th, DOTA, Mr. Raymond “Ray” Williams was promoted to the status of “Lonely Eagle”. Funeral services were July 6, 2015 in Marietta, GA. As one of the first African American military aviators, Mr. Williams played a

vital role in disproving the belief of the inferiority of blacks. He was quoted as saying, “We straightened that out!” America is indebted to Mr. Williams for his service and courage. Our Chapter has lost a DOTA, America has lost a hero, but most importantly this family has lost a loved one.

Dee Siffer’s 36" x 24" fine art Poster Design of Tuskegee Airmen accepted into the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

By Rick Sinkfield President, San

Antonio Chapter — DOTA Capt (ret) Gray graduated from the Murrell Dobbins Vocational School in January 1943 as a commercial artist. He was drafted in December 1943, selected as an Aviation Cadet and completed basic training at Keesler Field. After Bombardier training at Tuskegee, he completed the Flexible Gunnery School at Tyndall Field, Florida in December 1944. Then came Advanced Bombardier training at San Angelo, Texas where Mr. Gray finished as

one of only 6 “colored” cadets in a Class of 114 and was appointed a Flight Officer. Mr. Gray was then assigned to primary pilot training in Class 46-A at Tuskegee, flying

out of Moton Field. The end of World War II ended his aerial training and in February 1946 he separated (initially) from the military. Mr. Gray then used his artistic abilities, working for the Philadelphia Tribune and the

Pittsburgh Courier, until his Cadet/Flight Officer experiences brought him back to the military in September 1947 as a Sergeant performing duties in teletype, cryptography, and special services. In the spring of 1952, 2nd Lieutenant (later Captain) Gray was commissioned in the Air Force Reserve, from which he retired after 28 years in June 1973.

DOTA WILLIAM K. GRAY PASSES AWAY

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DOTA NEWS

By David Patch, Toledo Blade Staff Writer— Just because the black pilots trained in Tuskegee, Ala., had been approved to fly World War II combat missions didn’t mean they were suddenly treated as equals to white pilots in the Army Air Corps, a member of the black unit recalls.

“We still caught hell because we were segregated and discriminated,” Alexander Jefferson, one of three surviving members of the historic Tuskegee Airmen, said during the kickoff Thursday morning of a four-day exhibit at Toledo Express Airport commemorating the unit. “We got kicked out of Selfridge [Army Air Base in Michigan] because we

wanted to go to the officers’ club.”

Mr. Jefferson, now 93, particularly recalls the two-star general who stated there would be no interracial socialization at Selfridge “as long as I’m in command,” and

how, after his unit was transferred to South Carolina, white soldiers with rifles lined up along a station platform to escort them off the train. The South Carolina soldiers had falsely been told that the black officers had rioted in Michigan, he said.

“Here we are, second lieutenants, and we’re being treated as criminals,” said the retired Air Force Reserve lieutenant colonel from Detroit.

Despite such treatment, however, the Tuskegee Airmen — officially the 332nd Fighter Squadron — earned renown for flying fighter support in P-51C Mustangs for Allied bombing missions over southern Germany and Austria in 1944 and 1945.

The Tuskegee Airmen’s story is told in RISE ABOVE, a traveling exhibit that is the centerpiece this year of Aviation Week at the airport, which began Thursday and runs through Sunday. The free exhibit, which includes a 15-minute film summarizing the unit’s history and a working example of the P-51C aircraft, is set up at the Grand Aire headquarters on West Airport Service Road, west of the airport’s passenger terminal.

Aviation Week also included an open house at the Toledo Public Schools’ Aviation Center, which annually graduates

a dozen or more students trained in aircraft mechanics. Harold Brown, 91, a fellow Tuskegee Airman who remained on active duty with the Air Force until 1965 and also retired as a lieutenant colonel, said there was no exaggeration in Mr. Jefferson’s description. Yet he said even then, he harbored no ill feelings about fighting for a nation that, at the time, treated him as a second-class citizen. Both he and Mr. Jefferson even spent time in German prison camps after their planes were shot down on separate missions.

“It was a way of life,” Mr. Brown said. “You can live with it, and do the best you can, or you can constantly complain. I had a life to live. You can learn to live under any conditions. I learned to live as a prisoner of war, hungry most of the time I was there.” And Irving Green, a native Toledoan who was a mechanic with the 332nd during his four years of Air Corps service, said it was just as rough at bases in Kentucky and Texas — “especially down in Texas” — but he remains proud to have served his country. These days, Mr. Green said, “Most places are pretty good, pretty equal.”

Mr. Green, 91, did not speak at an opening ceremony as Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Brown did, but he did take the stage with them to receive copies of proclamations from the city of Toledo and the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, which respectively own and operate Toledo Express. Mr. Jefferson said he uses his background of having challenged the established order to urge young people to try to advance themselves while following society’s rules.

“It’s still the best damned game in the world. Learn how to play the game,” he said. Col. Chris Belli, commanding officer of the 180th Fighter Wing at Toledo Express, said the Air Force today is keeping the Tuskegee Airmen’s legacy alive. It re-established the 332nd Fighter Group in Iraq, the colonel said, while a fighter wing in Birmingham, Ala., flies two F-16 fighter jets adorned with the red tails that became the 1940s-era 332nd’s signature.

TUSKEGEE AIRMEN TELL THEIR STORY

First-class flyers treated as second-class citizens despite service

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DOTA SPOTLIGHT: LEO GRAY STAYS INVOLVED WITH TAI

Lt. Col. (ret) Leo R. Gray had made significant contributions to the warfare of this country throughout his military and civilian careers. Soon after high school graduation, Lieutenant Colonel Gray joined the Army Air Corps and began his aviation cadet training in 1943. Little more than a year later he graduated from the Tuskegee Army Air field as a Second Lieutenant, single engine pilot. The Tuskegee Airmen were the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps. While stationed in Italy as a fighter pilot, Gray flew 15 combat missions in P-51s for a total of 750 hours flying time. He left active duty in 1946, but remained in the USAF Reserves until 1984. During his 41 years of military service, Lieutenant Colonel Gray earned a

Coveted Air Medal with one Oak Leaf cluster and a Presidential Unit Citation. Gray earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts in 1950, a Masters degree from the University of Nebraska in 1952, and did post graduate work at the University of Maryland from 1962-1964. He began his 30 year career with USDA in 1953 as a Technical Assistant at the University of Massachusetts, Agricultural Extension Service. Gray wore many hats in the USDA career. Gray served as an agricultural economist with the Economic Research Service, an economist with APHIS in California, and as Director, Program Planning Office of the Food Safety & Inspection Service to mention a few. He remains an active, valued and involved member of TAI.

DOTA NEWS

E. Theophia Hicks Lee, Age 95, was born on February 5, 1920 and passed away on Monday June 1, 2015. From 1973 to 1985 she was an Administrative Assistant at Howard University Hospital. She and her husband of 51 years, Philip F. Lee raised four sons; Philip F. Lee, II, Andre W. Lee, Elwin C. Lee and Fredric

O. Lee. She was devoted to Hampton University where she graduated in 1942, and the East Coast Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen. In 2007 she received the nation's highest civilian award, the Congressional Gold Medal, for her 1943 to 1946 war time work in Tuskegee Alabama.

MS LEE WORKED AT TUSKEGEE DURING WWII

DOTA William Broadwater, one of the founding members of TAI, former TAI President, and listed on the 1975 ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION of TUSKEGEE AIRMEN, INC. joined the Lonely Eagle Chapter 23 September 2015. Service arrangements are still pending and will be published as soon as they are received. “Knowing Bill was a pleasure. He could make you smile and laugh. His warm and friendly personality won me over the first time I

met him at a TAI Board of Directors meeting in 2002. He loved his comrades and enthusiastically supported TAI in the 70s, 80s, 90s and early 2000s. We shared some fun and funny times. I remember a very funny experience with Bill Broadwater, Bill Holloman, and Bill Mills at the 2006 convention in Phoenix. I am still laughing. Tess and Rich Spooner might remember it too!

DOTA WILLIAM BROADWATER JOINS THE LONELY EAGLES CHAPTER SEPTEMBER 2015

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BY T.J. SPANN, Lt Col, USAF (Ret), President,

Tidewater Chapter - TAI & 1st VP, Eastern

Region TAI Board RepWilliam R. White was born in Isle of Wight County , Virginia on December 14, 1927. He attended high school at Isle of Wight County, VA. Prior to being drafted by the Army in

April 1945, He worked on a family farm and later for the Gwaltney Meat Packing Company.

In 1945, he boarded a train to Fort Davis, Massachusetts for “boot camp” training school. After successfully completing boot camp four months later, he requested to be reassigned to the Army Air Corps at Fort Meade, Maryland. Private First Class (PFC) White’s request was denied because he was drafted into the Army and was not a volunteer. He was instructed to make his request again after successfully completing training at his next assignment in Wichita Falls, Texas. While in Wichita Falls, TX, While in Wichita Falls, TX, PFC White received Supply Training at Sheppard Air Force Base . Following successful completion of all his Supply School examinations, PFC White requested a reassignment to the Army Air Corps. His reassignment request was approved and he was sent to Lockbourne Army Air Base to work in Supply Warehouse Operations under the 477th Bombardment Group.

While assigned to the 477th Bombardment Group, PFC White observed the racial tension, disharmony and distrust that plagued the Group. When he went into town, he was required to sit at the back of the bus. As a direct result of growing tension, the 477th never became combat ready before the end of the war. And although PFC White had not been drafted during the so called “Battle at Freeman Field” in Indiana (where between April 15-20, 1945, a battle of sort ensued over the use of the white only Officers Club by black officers assigned to Freeman Field, Seymour, IN), he recognized that he did benefit from it directly. As a direct result of the 101 stubborn black officers taking a stand at Freeman Field and refusing to sign a “Jim Crow” based regulation (voluntarily or under direct orders), which was punishable by death (64th Article of War), their collective action was found to be justified and caused a change in the command of the 477th from a white officer to one commanded by a black officer named Colonel Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. When WW II ended, and after having attained the rank of Corporal, Corporal White was honorably discharged in December 1946.

After PFC White was discharged, he returned to Isle of Wight County and resumed working for the Gwaltney Meat Packing Company. He used his Veterans Affairs benefit to purchase his Smithfield, Virginia, home where he and his wife (Elsie White) raised their six children (two of whom are deceased). Twenty-seven years later, Mr. White resigned from Gwaltney Meat Packing Company and went to work for Norfolk’s Naval Supply Center (NNSC) in 1973. He retired from the NNSC in 1993. Mr. White’s honors/awards include the Good Conduct Medal and a replica Congressional Gold Medal that the Tuskegee Airmen received as a group/unit from former President George W. Bush.

Mr. White stayed busy by being active in his church, spending time with his family, speaking about his Tuskegee Airmen experiences and helping those in need.

DOTA CORPORAL WILLIAM R. WHITE SR. PASSES AT 88

DOTA NEWS

16

Calvin Spann, a Rutherford, NJ native and former Englewood, NJ resident who was one of the Tuskegee Airmen, the trailblazing group of African-American military pilots during World War II, died Sunday at his home in Allen, Texas.

Lieutenant Spann’s death at the age of 90 was first reported by station NBC 5-KXAS, the Dallas-Fort Worth television station. Born in 1924, Lieutenant Spann left Rutherford in 1943 to join the U.S. Army Air Corps, at a time when all branches of the U.S. Armed Services were still segregated. But it was also a time when the necessities of war had begun to chip away at the wall of segregation, and he saw an opportunity to pursue his dream of flying when the Army sent him to flight training at Tuskegee Flight School in Alabama.

Lieutenant Spann, revealed in a 2012 interview that, as a child, he was fascinated by the planes he saw taking off from Teterboro Airport. He read “The Adventures of Smiling Jack,” an aviation comic strip, and wanted to do the things Jack did. He learned about the physics of flying while a student at Rutherford High School. “I was determined, because from the very beginning — I don’t know why or where it came from — but the rumor was out there that because I was black, I couldn’t learn. I was determined to prove that wrong.”

Lieutenant Spann earned his wings and the rank of lieutenant and was assigned to the 100th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group, the all-black aviator unit. From 1941 through 1946, roughly 1,000 African-American men trained at Tuskegee University to become military pilots.

Lieutenant Spann flew 26 combat missions, including a 1,600-mile round trip from Ramtelli, Italy, to Berlin, Germany, in March 1945 that was considered the longest bomber escort mission of the 15th Air Force.

Lieutenant Spann returned home a decorated war

veteran — among the ribbons he received were the Air Medal and the Presidential Unit Citation — only to realize that his race still limited his opportunities to fly.

Speaking before an audience at the Jersey City Public Library in 2012, Lieutenant Spann told how he remained in the Army Reserves until 1961 and wanted to continue as a pilot, but couldn’t get the flight time. He wanted to become a commercial pilot, but ran into the same racial obstacles in the airline industry. It wasn’t until 1963 that the U.S. Supreme Court ordered major commercial airlines to hire African-American pilots.

“I was trying to go to school at nights and work during the day,” he told the audience. “I couldn’t spend the weekends trying to get a plane and not get one. They didn’t allocate enough planes for people to get their time in. Not getting a chance to fly, I decided to get my discharge.”

Instead of flying professionally, Spann went back to school and found a job in pharmaceutical sales and settled in Englewood. “We never got jobs [or] positions in life that were equal to the struggle,” he said in an interview.

It would be a long wait, but the honors were bestowed on him much later in life. In 2006, he was inducted into the New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame at Teterboro Airport. A year later, he was among the Tuskegee Airmen who were collectively given the Congressional Gold Medal by President George W. Bush. He would later publish his recollections in a graphic novel, “Boundless Sky: The Story of Lt. Calvin Spann,” before moving to Allen, Texas, to be with his family.

DOTA CALVIN SPANN JOINS THE LONELY EAGLES CHAPTER SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

DOTA NEWS

17

NEW ORLEANS - Calvin Moret, the last surviving Louisiana member of World War II's famed Tuskegee Airmen, who was honored with the Congressional Gold Medal for his service, died Saturday, according to his family. He was 90. As a World War II veteran and link to the history of the group of famed African-American military airmen, Mr. Moret was frequently sought out to share his story. 'Life's experiences are like a baton in a relay race, to be received and in turn passed on,' said Moret in a 2014 WWL-TV interview. Just last month, on his 90th birthday, he appeared at the National World War II Museum as part of a celebration of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II and V-J Day. Also at that event, he performed with the Mardi Gras Chorus, a singing group of which he was a member since 1970. "We have lost a national hero," Mayor Mitch Landrieu said in a statement Saturday. "Dr. Moret was a great leader who made incredible sacrifices and exhibited resounding courage. He was truly an ambassador for the city of New Orleans. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time." Mr. Moret, whose family owned a printing business in New Orleans, joined the Tuskegee Airmen in 1943. He had trained to fly P-40s in preparation for deployment in Europe during World War II but the fighting in Europe ended four days

before his group was to embark. His class then trained for service in the Pacific theater, but the fighting soon ended there as well. After the war, Mr. Moret trained at the Tuskgee Institute from 1943 to 1944 and was commissioned as a flight officer. In recent years, as the numbers of the famed military group dwindled due to age, Mr. Moret's role became even more prominent, as a historian and frequent speaker. Key to his wartime story was the battle the airmen fought not just against the enemy but also against ignorance. 'Many people, especially from the early times, didn't recognize that black Americans had talent, and not only talent, but a love for the country to risk their lives and lose their lives,' Moret said in a 2012 interview with Sally-Ann Roberts. While African-American soldiers and airmen served the United States armed forces, they followed different orders at home. Moret says he fought for the country, but did not fight the segregation he faced at home. 'I didn't go sit in front of the bus when maybe I could have in certain instances. I didn't go into that theater and sit in the orchestra when I was supposed to go to the balcony. I followed the law,' said

Moret in 2014. Despite that segregation, Moret says he and his fellow airmen did not change their view on the mission before them. It did prompt questions in his mind about the

state of prejudice around world during that time. Seeing how Nazi German treated Jews, and how the U.S. was treating African-Americans, Moret said he tried not to let that discrimination seep into this psyche. 'We were there to protect the nation and the people in the nation, it didn't make any difference to me anyway, if I was going to protect whites or blacks,' said Moret. In 2007, Moret was among 200 surviving members of the Tuskegee Airmen awarded the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal. Moret was also in Washington in 2008, invited to take part in the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

CALVIN MORET, LAST SURVIVING LOUISIANA DOTA DIES

DOTA NEWS

SEE MORET, CONT’D ON PAGE 20

18

TAI MEMBER NEWS

RSETA Jeep on display at the Aviation Museum

Member Garners

Award

Major Yolandea Wood, USAF (Ret.) Technical Management was recognized at the 2014 Annual St. Louis Section Awards Banquet Honors & Awards as its 2014 AIAA Section Award/Lindbergh: Sabreliner Aviation Civic Category winner.

Ron Spriggs of the Brigadier General Noel F. Parrish Chapter unveiled a fully restored WWII-era Jeep as an exhibit in the AVIATION MUSEUM of KENTUCKY. Mr. Spriggs restored the exhibit and it is on display along with Kentucky State along with a Red Tail P-51 Mustang flown by DOTA Lt.Col. Bob Friend. He was noted for flying140 combat missions

in WWII and nicknamed his Mustang “Bunny.”

The museum is located at Blue Grass Airport, Lexington. The facility has 20,000 square feet of display area, a fully equipped shop for aviation restoration projects and a gift shop. The Museum is a dynamic entity which includes not only older restored aircraft and memorabilia, but also air-worthy, flyable aircraft for the public to enjoy.

Detroit Chapter President dies in small plane crash near airport in northern Michigan By Marv K. Abrams, MBA, President, Central Region

Detroit Chapter President Arthur Green III of Farmington Hills died August 9, 2015. Although all details have not been confirmed, Art left Detroit at about 9 PM and went missing around 11, apparently fatally crashing while on approach to land at a Harbor Springs airport near Petoskey, Michigan. Green was alone aboard a Piper Cherokee. The tragedy is still being investigated by the FAA and the Michigan State Police.

DOTA Car stolen; recovered Sam Clancy, KSDK

ST. LOUIS - The car of a 93-year-old Tuskegee Airman was recovered Tuesday, about a block away from where he was carjacked. Captain John Hayden of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said a man cutting the grass near

a vacant home on the 1200 block of Bayard Avenue spotted a car that he saw on the news, and called the police. The car, which is being dusted for prints, was parked behind the home.

Hayden said the victim is a highly distinguished member of the Tuskegee Airmen, and Hayden believes the man was targeted because he is elderly. The 93-year-old man was robbed then carjacked In St. Louis late Sunday night. St. Louis Metropolitan Police say the victim was driving to his daughters house when he got lost a little after 11 Sunday night. He pulled his car over to the side of the road near the intersection of McPherson Avenue and N Sarah Street to call his daughter. While the car was stopped, a man approached and entered the car. That man took cash from the victim, got out of the car and went into a black, older-model four-door vehicle. The suspect drove away and the victim followed him. After a few miles, the victim lost track of the car and pulled his car over to the side of the road near the intersection of Page Boulevard and Walton Avenue. When he pulled his car over, he asked two men for assistance. When the victim got out of his car to speak to the men, they got into his car and drove away.

19

EDITH ROBERTS PASSES AUGUST 15, 2015

Mrs. Edith Norle Roberts, widow of George "Spanky" Roberts joined the Lonely Eagle Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen after suffering from a stroke. She was in the company of her dedicated family and friends and received the utmost of care before passing on. Here is an excerpt from the US Congressional Record HON. DORIS MATSUI OF CALIFORNIA; IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Tuesday, August 25, 2015 Mrs. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, it brings me sadness and honor to pay final tribute to Edith Norle McMillan Roberts. She passed on Saturday, August 15, 2015, in Antelope, California. She was 96. Edith Roberts was the widow of the late Tuskegee Airman George “Spanky” Roberts, Colonel, USAF (Retired), a member of the first graduating class of the Tuskegee Airmen in 1942. She lived a life rife with adversity, but also rich with adventures and love. Edith Norle McMillan was born on March 18, 1919, in Gilliam, West Virginia. She attended West Virginia State University (formerly West Virginia State College), where she met her one true love, George. She graduated in 1941 with a Bachelor’s degree in music and French. She joined the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and the college choir. After college, she taught at Lakin Boys’ Reformatory in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, where she conducted second through fifth grade classes as well as the Boys’ Glee Club. Edith and George married on March 7, 1942, immediately following his graduation in the first class of Tuskegee Airmen. In 1965, the Roberts family arrived in Sacramento, California. George worked at McClellan Air Force Base where Edith directed the Military Wives’ Choral Group and sang in the chapel choir. The pair retired to civilian life in 1968. The family attended St. Stephen’s Presbyterian Church, where Edith, once again, took up the post of choir director until 1997. In 1970, Edith attended the Graduate School of Social Work, CSUS,

and in 1972, graduated with her Master’s Degree in social work. She worked for the Sacramento City Unified School District as a School Social Worker from 1972-1985, and was the first African-American Social Worker for the Sacramento School District. Edith did extensive work for the George S. “Spanky” Roberts Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. and

founded the “Living History Team.” She traveled the United States teaching adults and children about the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen and the many hardships they were dealt in life, from Jim Crow laws and segregation to her struggles of being a military wife. Edith was always a strong advocate of education. The George S. “Spanky” Roberts Chapter will honor her memory by creating the Edith Roberts Scholarship Award in her name. Similarly, the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. national organization will create the George and Edith Roberts Scholarship award. These scholarships will help graduating seniors to follow their goals through

higher education and beyond. Nothing made Edith happier than watching young people recognize and follow their dreams. Edith was smart, hard-headed, proud, kind, funny and loving. She loved a good party, a good story, a good cup of coffee, a good meal (with her ever present glass of white zinfandel), a good laugh, and a good nap. She is loved deeply and will be missed always. I invite my colleagues to join me as I offer my condolences to her loving family, George Roberts, Jr., Lanelle Brent, Michalyn Green, and Leigh Roberts; six grandchildren, Richard Brent, Heather Mercer, Joshua Roberts, Margaret Green, Zachari Roberts, and Nathaniel Roberts; and three great-grandchildren, Kathryn Mercer, Grace Roberts and Lauren Mercer. Thirty-one years have passed since she last saw her sweetheart, George. They have now been reunited once more. This time, it’s for keeps.

TAI MEMBER NEWS

20

TAI MEMBER NEWS

Tyrell was born on January 29, 1994 in Wahiawa, HI. He was a member of the San Antonio Chapter. He graduated from

O’Fallon Township High School in 2012; was a student at Lewis University in Romeoville, IL; a member of the Tuskegee Airman Inc. and was a Sports Pilot; and also a motivational speaker.

He was preceded in death by his maternal grandfather, Stephen Sunahara; and maternal great-grandparents, Charles & Clara Wataoka.

Tyrell is survived by his parents Gregory Rhodes of Las Vegas, NV and Robin Rhodes also a member of the San Antonio Chapter, nee Sunahara of Fairview Heights, IL; siblings, Tiyanna Rhodes of Fairview Heights, IL, Deja McDonalds of Fairview Heights, IL, Jade Rhodes of Las Vegas, NV, and Jalen Rhodes of Las Vegas, NV; paternal grandparents, Virgena Rhodes and Gregory Gray of Springfield, OH and Elsie Harris-Gibson & Benjamin Harris of Las Vegas, NV; maternal grandparents, Rosilyn Sunahara of Las Vegas, NV;

maternal great-grandmother, Josephine Witherspoon; special aunt, Josie “Joanne” Scott of Las Vegas, NV; and many aunts, uncles, and cousins.

TYRELL T. RHODES, 21, OF FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, IL, PASSES AWAY SEPTEMBER 4, 2015.

Mr. Moret was honored in 2012 when members of the community helped pay for and arrange a special screening of 'Red Tails,' the movie about the Tuskegee Airmen. The screening capped off a day of honors for Mr. Moret, who was honored by Mayor Mitch Landrieu and City Council President Jackie Clarkson. They presented him with a key to the city and other honors. 'You've been a great ambassador for the city and of course a great American patriot,' Landrieu told Moret. Conscious of the battle against crime the city is currently facing, the World War II veteran gave the mayor a letter with his

thoughts about how to curb crime. 'Somebody somewhere exerted the influence to make our society believe any reference to God and morality in public places is unconstitutional. And yet reinstating these values is the only way that any curbing of crime will take place,' Moret wrote in his letter, which he read to the mayor. 'Freedom is not free,' Landrieu said. 'It comes only when people make incredible sacrifices and this is a gentleman who has exhibited the courage to do that and one of the greatest battles that we're having for soul of the city right now is to make the city safe and to

save our children.' After the war, Mr. Moret and his brother joined forces with other aviation enthuiasts and formed the Pelican Flying Club in New Orleans. Together the group bought a small plane, which they kept at Lakefront Airport. Mr. Moret and his wife of 60 years, Berenice Delery Rouege Moret, were the parents of three children and had 11 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Friday, September 18 in New Orleans,

MORET, CONT’D FROM PAGE 17

21

Announcements

TASF is very proud to have Nickolas as its 2015 National Spokesperson. He is the grandson of original Tuskegee Airmen, Reginald Ballard.

The TASF plans to raise brand awareness using social media. Check out the TASF updated FaceBook page and read what our new national spokesperson has to say. at https://www.facebook.com/tuskegeeairmensf

Here’s a message from Nickolas Ballard, National Spokesperson of TASF:

Hi, friends! I have recently become the National Spokesperson of the Tuskegee Airmen Scholarship Foundation. Thanks to Lynda Sunnye D Simpson, I have the opportunity to broadcast our mission and message to the world.

Our task is simple yet imperative: we provide financial support to disadvantaged high school seniors who seek a college education. You've heard that one before, "kids need money for college." You empathize with the idea, but it may sound a bit tired. So let me remind you of the challenges college students face.

First and foremost is cost. According to the College Board, the average in-state tuition and fees at public four-year colleges and universities increased by 21% beyond the rate of inflation over the five years from 2004-05 to 2009-10, and by another 17% between 2009-10 and 2014-15. The average debt levels for all graduating seniors with student loans rose to $29,400 in 2012 — a 25% increase from $23,450 in 2008. That average has since passed $30,000. And because Congress won't approve lower interest rates, the federal government made a $50-billion profit from student loans in 2013. That's more than Exxon

Mobile made the previous year.

Mass incarceration also devastates millions of families nationwide. America has the largest prison population in the history of mankind, and it leads the developed world in per capita incarceration by far. Students' support systems are locked away, fathers

and mothers, brothers and sisters, students themselves, people who are mostly poor, non-violent offenders. These inmates are often paying an outsized debt to society due to long mandatory minimum sentences. Meanwhile, the Corrections Corporation of America, the largest private prison corporation, made a profit of $195 million in 2014.

The impediments to academic achievement go on: the rising cost of living, exorbitant medical expenses, the erosion

of the middle class, mass deportation, unbalanced targeting by law enforcement. Behind every one of these problems are profiteers squeezing the little guy for an extra buck. They're not bad people, but their actions have harmful effects on those seeking upward mobility. There are simply too many who invest in failure and exclusion.

The good news is you can be a part of the solution. You can invest in prosperity. Whether by charm or checkbook, your charity is needed.

TASF gives students more than money. We give them reassurance that somebody's got their back, that there's always help. I encourage you to be a part of the vast network of philanthropists that support this cause.

If you can donate, please do. If not, we still love you. I just ask that you share this post to your timeline and like our page. Thank you!

Nickolas Ballard—The new face of Tuskegee Airmen Scholarship Foundation

22

Announcements

Airplane museums worth a visit June 21, 2015 8:00 am • By Jim Winnerman Special to the

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

There is a preponderance of smaller air museums worth

a visit across the USA, including several in Illinois and

Missouri. Many have only a few planes and exhibits, but

they are probably run by experienced pilots and

volunteers eager to talk to visitors. All are destinations

for aviation aficionados, but each also offers an

opportunity for the public to learn about flying. Many

offer volunteer opportunities to help restore historic

aircraft. Below are brief descriptions of several air

museums just a short drive from St. Louis. Here’s a

quick list:

THE CHANUTE AIR MUSEUM Rantoul, Ill.;

aeromuseum.org

Situated on the deactivated Chanute Air Force Base, this

museum is home to more than 40 planes and numerous

exhibits. “A popular plane for visitors is the P51 H

Mustang used in World War II. “ Displays are devoted

to the history of flight before the Wright Brothers,

civilian aviation, the Korean War, the Tuskegee Airmen,

and POWs and MIAs.

PRAIRIE AVIATION MUSEUM Bloomington,

Ill.; prairieaviationmuseum.org

Halfway between St. Louis and Chicago, this museum is

home to eight planes, three helicopters and numerous

exhibits on such topics as float planes, women in

aviation, aerobatic planes and blimps. The main

attraction is the F-14 used in the movie “Top Gun” with

Tom Cruise.

GREATER ST. LOUIS AIR AND SPACE

MUSEUM Cahokia; airandspacemuseum.org

This museum is quite different than most, including its

location in “Hangar 2,” a 1929 historic brick structure at

the St. Louis Downtown Airport (formerly Parks

Airport.) Early aviators associated with the building

include Charles Lindbergh, Jimmy Doolittle, Albert

Lambert, Oliver Parks, Wiley Post and Amelia Earhart.

THE HISTORICAL AIRCRAFT RESTORATION

MUSEUM Maryland

Heights; historicaircraftrestorationmuseum.org

In hangars at Creve Coeur Airport are “an unknown

national treasure from the golden age of flight.” The

collection includes 65 vintage biplanes and other

historical aircraft. All date between 1917 and 1954 and

most are in flying condition with oil pans under the

engines catching dripping oil that keeps the motors

lubricated. They include planes flown by Charles

Lindbergh, a 1916 restored “Jenny” (JN-4), a Zenith Z6a

biplane has an eight-passenger compartment in the

fuselage, but the pilot flew the aircraft from a cockpit

outside and on top of the plane.

NICHOLAS BEAZLEY AIRCRAFT MUSEUM

Marshall, Mo.; nicholasbeazley.org

In 1923 area residents Howard Beazley and Russell

Nicholas formed the Nicholas-Beazley Airplane Co. and

established a flying school that trained more than 3,600

pilots between 1924 and 1931. By 1927 the company

was manufacturing planes. Townspeople purchased the

last remaining NB-3 in 2005, and the plane was the

catalyst for the establishment of the Nicholas Beazley

Aviation Museum, which opened in 2008 where it is

displayed.

Also on display is a “Flying Flea” and Several large

displays containing more memorabilia about the

airplane industry.

AIRLINE HISTORY MUSEUM Kansas

City; airlinehistory.org

Included is a four-propeller Super G Constellation, or

“Connie,” distinguished by its triple tail design, a DC-

3, the plane that replaced long-distance train travel

after World War II, a 400-seat, L-1011, by far the

largest airplane to be on display in the bistate area.

Displays include a huge collection of photographs,

artifacts, printed material, and audio/visual displays

that present an authentic insight into an era in

passenger aviation history. Uniforms, galley items,

See MUSEUMS Cont’d on page 23

23

Announcements

logbooks, personal mementos and much more bring

the propeller-driven era to life.

COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE — MISSOURI

WING St. Charles; cafmo.org

This museum is one of more than 72 “wings” of the

Commemorative Air Force. Located at airfields

throughout the United States, the organization’s

objective is to honor the men and women who built,

serviced and flew all World War II aircraft by

preserving a complete flying collection of all the

planes used in the conflict. The World War II planes

stationed at include a North American B-25J

Medium Bomber, a T3M-3E, the , an Aeronca L-3

Observation Plane, which was used for enemy

reconnaissance and to direct artillery. For

information on all air museums by state and

worldwide, visit aero-web.org/air.htm or

aerofiles.com/museums.html

Calendars are $15 includes shipping. Mail your check to: Yolandea Wood; 2736 Lake Lucerne; Belleville Illinois 62221 * (618) 622-3025 yolandea.wood@gmail.com

Last Name

First Name M.I.

Address Apt./Unit

City State ZIP Code

Phone ( ) E-Mail

Method of payment

Check Money Order

SEE DOTA ADVICE TO YOUTH

“Tuskegee Airmen Clip for Students”

at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_Z0BWe4VOk.

This video clip by McGraw Hill has been seen in every high school in twenty states across America to inspire

graduating seniors. Approximately two and a half million kids are getting to see it every year.

The Greater Cincinnati Chapter presents The Sixth Annual RedTails Dinner and Dance

Saturday, October, 17, 2015 Keynote Speaker: Jeffrey Blackwell, Cincinnati Police Chief

For additional information contact Donald Hudson 513-681-7802

FEATURE LENGTH PREMIERE: THE LUFT GANGSTER An award-winning documentary celebrating the incredible life story of Tuskegee Airmen fighter pilot (Red Tail), P.O.W, and Holocaust eyewitness...

Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson, USAF (Ret) Alex is 93 years young, a national treasure, and a true American hero. Sunday, October 18, 2015 - 4:30 pm at The Riviera Cinema - 30170 Grand River Avenue, Farmington Hills, MI 48336 $25 per person

TICKETS INCLUDE: 4:30 pm - Light Hor D'oeuvres, photos, soft drinks & popcorn. Cash bar available. 5:30 pm - 1st Seating - Full length feature film starring Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson. 5:45 pm - 2nd Seating ATTIRE: Dressy Casual

MUSEUMS Cont’d from page 22

24

Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. (TAI) National Office

P.O. Box 830060 Tuskegee, AL 36083

(334) 421-0198 * Fax: (334) 725-8205 Administrative Director

Maggie Thomas mthomas@tuskegeeairmen.org TAI MISSION

Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. (TAI) P.O. Box 830060 Tuskegee, AL 360830

Honoring the accomplishments and perpetuating the history of African-Americans who participated in air crew, ground crew and operations support training in the Army Air Corps during

WWII.

Introducing young people across the nation to the world of aviation and science through local and national programs such as

Young Eagles and TAI youth programs and activities.

Providing educational assistance to students and awards to deserving individuals, groups and corporations whose deeds lend

support to TAI's goals. TAI also supports the Tuskegee Airmen Award presented to deserving cadets in the Air Force Junior

Reserve Officer Training Corps Program.

"Tuskegee Airmen" refers to all who were involved in the so-called "Tuskegee Experience” — the Army Air Corps program to train African Americans to fly and

maintain combat aircraft. The Tuskegee Airmen included pilots, navigators, bombardiers, maintenance and support staff, instructors, and all the personnel

who kept the planes in the air.

TAI National Public Relations Team [VACANT] National Public Relations Officer (NPRO) Ron Lacey Western PRO; rlaceyconsult@yahoo.com Evelyn Kelley-Antoine Central PRO; kelleyantoine@gmail.com Jerry Burton Eastern PRO; hawknati@hotmail.com Rick Sinkfield, Layout Editor Member-at-Large; rixsink@gmail.com

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED DELIVER TO:

Photos by: Alexanders Images, San Antonio Chapter Mr. Booker Alexander & Ms Carol Alexander bookeralexander@yahoo.com Mr. Basil Kimbrew, Los Angeles Chapter, BasilkimbrewIII@yahoo.com