By H. Thomas “Tommy” Herndon Jr., President, ECCTAI

Ever seen a perfect formation flight?

Each aircraft locked in sync, every pilot trusting the next. As a former Air Force pilot, I’ve seen and experienced this beautiful symmetry, but it only works when the whole team shows up — with passion and commitment.

That’s exactly how the East Coast Chapter Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. (ECCTAI) operates. And wow, did our team soar this May.

I’m taking a moment — while we’re still ascending to the next fundraiser — to thank everyone who helped pull off not one but two stellar events: the Legacy of Excellence: Tuskegee Airmen Fundraising Reception and the Youth Recognition Breakfast Fundraiser.

Both were powerful and packed with purpose.

To the planning committees: You didn’t just show up; you excelled. Your professionalism, creativity and heart made these events more than fundraisers. They were memorable experiences.

I offer a special salute to our daring leads, Ms. Vanessa Butler and Mr. Edward L. Harbison Jr. They faced time constraints and numerous challenges, but they rallied their teams and delivered outstanding events that were exhilarating.

To every ECCTAI member who lent time, expertise and vision: Thank you. Your passion for the mission — to preserve the legacy of the pioneering Tuskegee Airmen by inspiring the next generation of aviators and aerospace professionals — is why we continue to rise.

Looking ahead, I am confident our next fundraiser will bring the same level of excellence and generate support for our scholarships and Youth in Aviation Programs. Led by Mr. Robert Bullett, the 34th Annual General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. Golf Classic is our chapter’s most anticipated fundraiser.

Yes, there’s golf (and prizes!), but it’s also a moment to spotlight legacy. This year, we honor the late Dr. Fenton B. Sands Sr., a Tuskegee Airman and international agriculturalist who once served as a navigator-bombardier. His story, like so many, deserves to be told on every green.

And hey, if you’re not a golfer? That’s cool. You can still:

• Grab a seat at the luncheon.
• Sponsor or connect us with a sponsor.
• Buy a raffle ticket or ECCTAI merchandise.
• Or just make a heartfelt  donation.

These events power something bigger. This year, our scholarship and aviation education programs will cost over $90,000, and every dollar helps us keep our promise to the Tuskegee Airmen who started this chapter and to students with dreams of flying.

We know the fundraising field is crowded. Other nonprofits are going after the same dollars, the same ears, the same hearts. But I believe in ECCTAI members. Because you don’t just talk about legacy. You live it.

Since 1996, thanks to our Herbert H. Jones Jr. Youth in Aviation Program, more than 200 students have been introduced to aviation careers. In fact, some of them are now pilots, air traffic controllers and aircraft maintainers thriving in their field.

Our scholarships program? Over $217,000 awarded. Our annual Youth Flight Day? Hundreds have taken to the skies for the first time.

This is what impact looks like.

Thank you, again, for your dedication and hard work. Let’s continue to inspire and uplift our youth, honor our history and carry forward the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen.

From the Bahamas to Jamaica and beyond, WWII service members from the Islands helped shape legacy of famed Red Tails

The story of the Tuskegee Airmen is often told as a triumph of African American perseverance and skill in the face of adversity during World War II. An under-told story, however, is the account of numerous Tuskegee Airmen with Caribbean roots. As we celebrate Caribbean American Heritage Month this June, we are highlighting some of their stories, which helped shape the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen.

BAHAMAS

Herven Exum

Exum was the fifth of 10 children born to John E. and Cora Artis Exum at the family homestead near Eureka, North Carolina, where his ancestors had lived off the land as farmers since the late 1800s. Exum’s great-grandfather was an immigrant from the Bahamas whose wife was Cherokee. Growing up in rural North Carolina, Exum spent his youth working tobacco and cotton fields, sharing a bed with four brothers and dreaming of flying. Despite the limitations imposed by segregation, he pursued his aviation ambitions and became one of nearly 1,000 African American men trained as pilots through the historic Tuskegee program during World War II. Graduating as a flight officer in October 1944, Exum piloted fighter aircraft with 2,500-horsepower engines, serving his country during a time when racial discrimination barred most Black Americans from military aviation roles. His family said Exum later flew Air Force jets on combat missions in the Korean War. In the late 1950s, he performed in air shows as H.P. “Hot Pilot” Exum. During Vietnam, Exum flew injured troops to hospitals in Japan and Guam as a contractor. When he later moved to Washington, D.C., Exum drove cabs and worked as an air traffic controller. For a time, he worked as a commercial airline pilot in Canada. Exum died in August 2013 at age 91, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire future aviators, including his great-nephew and military aviator Coast Guard Lt. Tyler Exum. Exum was buried at Quantico National Cemetery wearing a red blazer in honor of his Tuskegee Airmen history.

1st Lt. Roger Bertram Gaiter

Gaiter exemplified the American dream's possibilities amid wartime adversity. Born June 6, 1922, Gaiter's parents, Wilfred and Ernestine, emigrated from the Bahamas in 1911, establishing themselves in a predominantly white community where they raised 10 children through sheer determination. Seven of the Gaiter children graduated from college, with one earning a master's degree and seven becoming teachers. Gaiter followed this family tradition of excellence, graduating high school in 1939 and earning his bachelor's degree from Glassboro State College before joining the legendary 332nd Fighter Group. On Nov. 19, 1944, during a strafing mission in Hungary and Austria, Gaiter's P-51 Mustang was struck by anti-aircraft fire and shot down. He evaded capture for four days before being taken prisoner and held at Stalag VIIA. Gaiter survived the war and lived until Nov. 5, 2006.

Dr. Fenton B. Sands Sr.

Born in Harlem, New York, in 1918 to Bahamian immigrants, Sands grew up steps from Colonial Park, where his fascination with nature took root. A graduate of Cornell University — where he became the first Black member of the elite Telluride House — Sands earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture in 1942. That same year, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and trained at Tuskegee, becoming a navigator-bombardier with the 477th Bombardment Group. Though World War II ended before deployment, Sands made history as part of the Army’s first class of Black navigation cadets. After the war, he and his wife helped revitalize Liberia’s Cuttington College. Sands later earned a Ph.D. in agriculture from Cornell and led agricultural missions in 24 countries through USAID, the Ford Foundation and the World Bank. Sands retired in 1982 and passed away in 1998 after inspiring three generations of global public servants. His Air Corps wings and navigation tools now reside at the Smithsonian Museum, honoring his indelible mark on aviation and international development. His son, Dr. Fenton B. Sands Jr., is a member of the East Coast Chapter, Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.

BARBADOS

Colonel Fitzroy "Buck" Newsum

Newsum served his country for nearly three decades, and traced his aviation dreams to his Caribbean childhood. Born May 22, 1918, in Manhattan, Newsum's Caribbean heritage ran deep through both sides of his family. At age 1, he moved to the island of Barbados, where he was raised by his grandparents. His parents had emigrated from Barbados in 1917, maintaining strong cultural ties to their homeland. When he was 10, he saw his first aircraft in Trinidad. This formative Caribbean experience, spanning both Barbados and Trinidad, shaped his character and instilled the resilience that would define his groundbreaking military career. Newsum enlisted during World War II and graduated from the Tuskegee Army Air Field program in 1943 as a first lieutenant. He served across multiple theaters during World War II and continued his military career through the Cold War era, stationed at bases from Alabama to Hawaii, Germany to Kansas. Newsum’s service culminated as vice commander of the 381st Strategic Missile Wing at McConnell Air Force Base before retiring as a colonel in 1970. After his military career, Newsum transitioned to civilian life as a public relations manager at Martin Marietta Aerospace in Denver. Newsum died Jan. 5, 2013, at age 94, leaving behind a legacy that bridged his Caribbean heritage with American military excellence.

BRITISH WEST INDIES

2nd Lt. Joseph Evans Gordon

Very little has been recorded about Gordon’s military career. His father, Ernest Gordon, was born in 1886 in the British West Indies. He married Josephine Redman in 1922. Gordon was born in Montreal, Canada, and his family later moved to Brooklyn, New York. Gordon graduated from flight training on Feb. 8, 1944, at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama. He soon deployed to Italy with the 99th Fighter Squadron, part of the 332nd Fighter Group. On Aug. 12, after escorting bombers to Toulon, France, to destroy radar stations, fighters from the 332nd Fighter Group began to draw ground fire. P-51 Mustangs flown by Gordon and 1st Lt. Langdon E. Johnson were hit by anti-aircraft fire; both pilots were killed. Gordon is buried at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in France. According to a government database, he was awarded a Purple Heart.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

2nd Lt. Esteban Hotesse

Hotesse was born on Feb. 11, 1919, in the town of Moca, Dominican Republic. He moved to New York with his mother and sister when he was 4 years old. Hotesse would become the only Dominican-born member of the famed Tuskegee Airmen and one of the few people born in a Spanish-speaking nation to serve the United States during World War II. He attained the rank of second lieutenant in the 619th Bombardment Squadron of the 477th Bombardment Group. Hotesse was among 101 Tuskegee Airmen officers arrested on April 11, 1945, for refusing to obey the Jim Crow system. His arrest took place after a series of incidents involving Black officers challenging de facto segregation by entering clubs reserved for White officers only and demanding service at the Freeman Army Airfield, a U.S. Army Air Forces base near Seymour, Indiana. In an attempt to enforce segregation, the base's White commanding officer, Col. Robert B. Selway, issued an order that classified all black officers as "trainees," which barred them from entering any facilities for white officers and directed all officers to sign a statement verifying that they read, understood and accepted the order. Hotesse, along with another 100 officers, were arrested for refusing to sign the statement. Tragically, Hotesse died at age 26 on July 8, 1945, during a military exercise when his B-25J Mitchell bomber crashed in the Ohio River between Indiana and Kentucky. For decades, his story remained largely unknown, with only a brief Spanish-language obituary in the Dominican Republic identifying him simply as an aviator.

HAITI

Ludovic Audant, Raymond Cassagnol, Philippe Célestin, Eberle Guilbaud, Alix Pasquet and Nicolas Pelissier

Haiti’s involvement with the Tuskegee Airmen began through a direct partnership with the U.S. government, which sought Haitian pilots to patrol the Caribbean against German submarines. Six Haitian military officers broke racial and national barriers from 1943 to 1944 by training at the segregated Tuskegee Army Air Field during World War II. The first trio — Raymond Cassagnol, Alix Pasquet, and Philippe Célestin — departed Port-au-Prince in February 1943, enduring Jim Crow segregation on their journey through Puerto Rico, Miami, and Jacksonville to Alabama. After Cassagnol's graduation, three additional Haitian pilots joined the program: Sgt./Lt. Ludovic Audant, Sgt./Lt. Nicolas Pelissier, and Eberle Guilbaud. Pasquet (1919-1958) embodied the complex legacy of these Airmen — serving as both war hero and revolutionary, ultimately dying while leading a coup attempt against François Duvalier. Cassagnol, born Sept. 20, 1920, remains the last surviving Haitian Tuskegee Airman at over 100 years old. Guilbaud graduated in April 1944 at age 25. Their service challenged both American segregation and expanded Haiti's military aviation capabilities during a pivotal moment in world history.

JAMAICA

Alton A. Burton

Burton, a distinguished Tuskegee Airman whose Jamaican roots shaped his journey to becoming one of America's most influential civil engineers, was born Nov. 25, 1925, in Washington Heights, Manhattan. The son of Jamaican immigrants, his Caribbean heritage instilled values that would guide him through decades of groundbreaking work in aviation and engineering. Burton entered military service during World War II as a U.S. Air Force second lieutenant, serving with distinction as a bombardier, navigator and pilot with the Tuskegee Airmen. His exemplary wartime service earned him three military awards and a Congressional Gold Medal in 2007. After his military service, Burton pursued higher education, earning a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan and a master's degree in civil engineering from New York University. He became a licensed professional engineer in New York State, joining the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as its sole Black engineer at the time. Burton's most significant professional achievement came in 1962 when Governor Nelson Rockefeller appointed him chief civil engineer for the World Trade Center project. His engineering expertise and vision in designing the towers' fortified infrastructure proved crucial on Sept. 11, 2001, when his structural preparations provided precious evacuation time that helped save thousands of lives. Burton passed away on Nov. 1, 2018, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy of service and achievement.

Dr. Cyril O. Byron Sr.

Born April 15, 1920, in New York City to Jamaican immigrant parents, Byron embodied the American dream through service and scholarship. The son of a chef and caterer, he was raised in the Bronx and graduated from Morris High School in 1939 as a multisport athlete. While studying at Morgan State College, where he excelled as a football quarterback and in basketball and track, Byron was drafted into military service during World War II. Byron served with the 99th Pursuit Squadron, later renamed the 99th Fighter Squadron, in Tuskegee, Alabama. He was initially assigned as a crewman maintaining airplanes, particularly the .50-caliber machine guns. Byron’s unit joined the 15th Air Force in Casablanca, Morrocco, and later transferred to the 8th Air Force. After participating in the North African campaign, the unit landed in Sicily for the invasion of Salerno. In Ramitelli, Italy, the 99th Fighter Squadron joined the 332nd Fighter Group. Because he knew how to type, Byron was assigned to administrative duties at headquarters, a job he held until being discharged in 1945 with the rank of sergeant major. After the war, Byron built a distinguished academic career, eventually serving as Dean of Education at Coppin State University in Baltimore before transitioning to the Community College of Baltimore in 1976. His dual legacy as both military pioneer and educational leader reflected his lifelong commitment to breaking barriers and serving others. Byron died Oct.  20, 2015, at age 95.

2^nd Lt. Robert W. Deiz

Deiz was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1919 to William Carlos Deiz, a Jamaican immigrant, and Elnora Noni Deiz. He graduated from the Tuskegee Flight School in 1942 and served as a fighter pilot with the 99th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group. Over the course of World War II, he flew 93 combat missions and notably shot down two German Focke-Wulf Fw 190 aircraft in January 1944. After the war, Deiz broke new ground as a test pilot, becoming one of the first to fly jet aircraft, and later attended the Army Command and General Staff School. He retired as a major from the U.S. Air Force in 1961, then worked in electronics and served as a parole officer and supervisor for nearly two decades. Deiz’s legacy extends beyond his military achievements — he was the model for the iconic 1943 “Keep Us Flying!” World War II War Bonds poster, which became a symbol of African American patriotism and service during the war.

Lt. Irma Cameron Dryden

Dryden, born May 28, 1920, in New York City to Jamaican immigrant parents, carved her place in military history as one of the few nurses who served the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. Her Jamaican father worked as a dental technician, while her mother was a schoolteacher, representing the professional aspirations of many Caribbean families who sought opportunities in America. Originally desiring to become a physician, Dryden pivoted to nursing after encountering barriers to medical school admission. She graduated from Harlem Hospital School of Nursing in 1942 before stepping off a train at Tuskegee Army Air Field in 1943 to serve the World War II Airmen who were challenging racial segregation in the military. At Tuskegee, her professional life intersected with romance when she met and married Charles "A-Train" Dryden on Nov. 16, 1943, in what was reportedly the first military wedding at the base. Charles Dryden, also of Jamaican heritage, was a combat fighter pilot with the 99th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group, earning his "A-Train" nickname from his P-40 aircraft and later documenting their romance in his autobiography "A-Train: Story of a Tuskegee Airman." Dryden left military service in 1944 and in 2014 received the Congressional Gold Medal for her service. She died Sept. 17, 2020, at age 100.

Ivan James McRae Jr.

McRae was born on Aug. 19, 1923, in Harlem, New York, to parents who emigrated from Jamaica in 1916. After graduating from high school in Yonkers, New York, McCrae enlisted in the Army’s Aviation Cadet Program. In 1943, he was selected for a first-ever program to train Black men as combat pilots at Tuskegee Army Airfield in Alabama. He earned his wings as a Twin-Engine Bomber Pilot with the famed Tuskegee Airmen and was attached to the 477th Bombardment Group commanded by Benjamin O. Davis Jr. For most of his life, McRae rarely spoke of his 1945 involvement in a standoff that helped end segregation in the U.S. military.  A White commander at Freeman Army Airfield, Indiana, ordered McRae and other Black officers not to enter the post’s Whites-Only Officers Club and to use the All-Black club dubbed “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” instead. McRae found himself at a critical moment of history. What later became known as the Freeman Field Mutiny was a series of peaceful demonstrations in April 1945 by Black Army officers who had been transferred to the Midwest airfield after racial altercations at airfields in Michigan and throughout the South. In all, 101 Black officers were arrested for entering the Whites-only Officers Club, or for refusing to formally accept the legitimacy of the Club’s Whites-Only designation, according to a 1997 Air Force document. The standoff persuaded the War Department to side with the protesters, and for the first time, to place Black Officers in command of the All-Black 477th Bombardment Group. Three years later, President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981, which ordered the end of racial segregation in the U.S. military. Although he was in training for missions against Japan, the war’s end spared him from combat. After McRae’s discharge as a second lieutenant, he completed his bachelor’s degree at Columbia University in 1948 and got married. He and his wife settled in Long Island, where McRae worked for Bulova, Litton Industries and various defense-industry companies. McRae died Nov. 29, 2016.

Victor “Vic” Llewellyn Ransom

Ransom, a Tuskegee Airman of Jamaican heritage, was born in New York City into a family defined by intellect, excellence and trailblazing firsts. His lineage included the first Black judge in Brooklyn, a mother and aunt who were graduates of Howard and Columbia in the 1930s, and an aunt who co-founded Alpha Kappa Alpha, one of the nation’s oldest and largest Black sororities. After graduating from Stuyvesant High School, Ransom enrolled at MIT to study electrical engineering. World War II interrupted his studies, and in 1943 he joined the 477th Bombardment Group of the Tuskegee Airmen. Though denied deployment overseas due to racism, Ransom made history on U.S. soil as a participant in the Freeman Field Mutiny — a pivotal 1945 protest against segregation in the U.S. military. After the war, he earned a master’s in engineering at MIT and led a 50-year career at Bell Labs as Department Head, while teaching at NJIT. He and his wife, an elementary school teacher, raised their daughter — an esteemed Harvard and MIT-educated urban planner, professor, and international development consultant. Ransom died in 2020 at age 96, leaving a legacy of service, scholarship and civil rights.

Lt. Victor Terrelonge

Born in Morant Bay, Jamaica, in 1923, Terrelonge was a founding member of the Tuskegee Airmen’s 332nd Fighter Group. He immigrated to the United States at age 15 and pursued his passion for aviation, graduating from Aviation High School in Queens, New York, in 1942 before earning a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from City College of New York. His family's connection to public service ran deep — his mother, Florence McQueen Terrelonge-Stewart, broke barriers as the first Black nurse employed at Harlem Hospital. After his military service, he embarked on a 37-year career with the New York City Transit System, rising from trolley driver to safety administrator. Terrelonge's legacy extended beyond his wartime service. He co-founded the Claude B. Govan Tri State Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., providing scholarships to hundreds of students and frequently speaking at schools to preserve the Airmen's historical legacy. He died in 2011 at age 88, having received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007 alongside his fellow Tuskegee Airmen. Terrelonge was posthumously honored in New York, where a street bears his name in tribute to his achievements.

Lt. Col. Charles W. “A-Train” Dryden

Dryden emerged as one of America's most distinguished Tuskegee Airmen, earning his nickname "A-Train" while serving as a groundbreaking African American military pilot during World War II. Born Sept. 16, 1920, in New York City to Jamaican immigrant educators, Dryden defied racial barriers to pursue his aviation dreams. Dryden recalls in his book, “A-Train: Memoirs of a Tuskegee Airman,” how at 2 years of age, he would call out, “Air’pwane! Airpwane! and tearing paper into bits and throwing them into the air to tell the world he wanted to fly airplanes.” After many setbacks and tribulations, he did fly airplanes, living out his dream. After graduating from Peter Stuyvesant High School, Dryden entered aviation cadet training at Tuskegee Army Flying School in Alabama in August 1941. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant on April 29, 1942, becoming one of the first African American military pilots to engage in aerial combat. As a member of the elite 99th Fighter Squadron, Dryden flew dangerous missions overseas while confronting racial prejudice both in the military and at home. After the war, Dryden earned degrees from Hofstra University and Columbia University, later becoming a professor. His autobiography chronicles his extraordinary journey from a "crazy black kid who wanted to fly" to a celebrated military aviator who helped pave the way for integration in American aviation.

PUERTO RICO

Eugene Calderon and Pablo Diaz Albortt

According to research from the Air Force and Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.’s historian, in 1944, Puerto Rican aviators went to the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama to train the famed 99th Fighter Squadron of the Tuskegee Airmen. By the end of World War II, Puerto Ricans had served in various capacities within the Tuskegee program, including noncommissioned officers in charge of special service offices and as aviation students.

Tech. Sgt. Pablo Diaz Albortt and Eugene Calderon were part of the Tuskegee program and experienced the complexities of segregation.

CAF Rise Above, an educational outreach program focused on the history and legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen and Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), documents Albortt as a noncommissioned officer in charge of the Special Service Office and Calderon as an aviation student with Class 441, who was subsequently eliminated from the program.

Albortt’s promotion to technical sergeant is listed in the August 1943 edition of Hawk’s Cry, a weekly newsletter published by Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama.

According to CAF Rise Above, When Diaz and Calderon arrived for duty, they found “themselves in a peculiar situation because of Alabama's stringent segregation laws at the time. Because they were Hispanic, they were considered a 'third' color and forced to live on their own, separated from other races. Experiences like this were an important reason for the eventual desegregation of the armed services in 1948, but were too late for the service men and women who endured uncomfortable racial divides during the war.”

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

Herbert H. Heywood and Henry E. Rohlsen

Among the legendary Tuskegee Airmen who broke racial barriers in military aviation, two sons of the U.S. Virgin Islands distinguished themselves as pioneering black fighter pilots during World War II. Herbert H. Heywood of St. Croix graduated from the Tuskegee program on March 12, 1944, earning the rank of second lieutenant. Heywood was just 19 when he enlisted in 1944, joining the ranks of the 332nd Fighter Group that would earn fame as the "Red Tails." Henry E. Rohlsen, born Oct. 6, 1916, on St. John, also graduated on March 12, 1944, as a second lieutenant and served with the 99th Squadron. As part of the 332nd Fighter Group, he flew combat missions across the European theater. Rohlsen's legacy lives on through St. Croix's Henry E. Rohlsen Airport, renamed in his honor in 1996. The facility, formerly Alexander Hamilton International Airport, serves as a lasting tribute to his service and sacrifice. Both Airmen's contributions continue through the Virgin Islands Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen Inc. (VICTAI), founded by Heywood's daughters to preserve their fathers' legacy and inspire local youth to pursue aviation careers.

PANAMA/TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Wilfred R. DeFour

DeFour was born on Oct. 13, 1918, in Colón, Panama, to Trinidadian parents. His family emigrated to Harlem, New York, when he was a child. Drafted into the segregated U.S. Army in 1942, DeFour was assigned to the 366th Air Service Squadron and 96th Air Service Group at Tuskegee Army Airfield. After completing administration training at Atlanta University, he was promoted to staff sergeant and deployed to Italy in 1944. Working at Ramitelli Airfield in Italy, DeFour was credited with initiating the decision to paint aircraft tails red, earning the unit its famous "Red Tails" nickname. This innovation became symbolic of the Tuskegee Airmen's legacy and inspired the 2012 film "Red Tails." After his military service, DeFour earned a business degree and operated a real estate company while working for the Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Postal Service. He retired in 1982 as superintendent of special delivery and parcel post, capping a century of service to the U.S. He died at age 100 on Dec. 8, 2018, at his home in Harlem.

While not an exhaustive list, these Tuskegee Airmen of Caribbean heritage illustrate the diverse backgrounds of the famed World War II service members.

SOURCES: Boricuastemstories; CAFRiseabove.org; Jamaicans.com; news.miami-airport.com; Stthomassource.com; www.nps.gov; www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk; sayvillealumni.org; Washington Post; blackhistory.mit.edu; St. Louis Daily Dispatch; https://65thcgm.weebly.com/more-history.html; U.S. Air Force.  

Author Kelly V. Porter to honor her father’s legacy as a pioneering meteorologist during Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day  (full text with pictures)

Long before satellite imaging revolutionized weather forecasting, Alonzo Smith Jr. was making critical, real-time predictions for military pilots. One of the first African American meteorologists in the U.S. Air Force during the 1950s, Smith’s weather forecasting calculations shaped missions and saved lives.

Now, Smith’s daughter, author Kelly V. Porter, is ensuring his story — and the broader story of Black pioneers — gets the recognition it deserves. Porter’s book, “The Weather Officer,” chronicles 40 years of her father’s life, beginning with his impoverished  youth in 1930s Harlem and Washington, D.C., through his ascension as a Navy enlisted sailor, then Air Force weather officer, ending with him earning the position of civilian deputy coordinator for meteorology at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 

Smith retired from NOAA in 1986. He passed away in 1999 at age 74.

Smith credits the Tuskegee Airmen for inspiring him to achieve his goals, Porter notes in her book. At one point, during the summer of 1948 when he was in Howard University’s Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, Smith meets and is given a plane ride by Tuskegee Airman pilot Capt. Howard Lee Baugh.

Porter will continue telling her father’s story as the featured speaker at the East Coast Chapter Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.’s (ECCTAI) Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day (TACD) and Wreath-laying Ceremony on March 27 at the U.S. Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. Typically held on the fourth Thursday of each March, TACD ensures the bravery, sacrifice and enduring impact of deceased members of the nearly 19,000 primarily Black men and women who comprised the “Tuskegee Airmen Experience” are never forgotten.

As she prepares for the commemoration ceremony, Porter discussed how her father navigated racism, the use of technology to strengthen storytelling and the importance of legacy.

Q: Your father was a pioneer in meteorology and the military. What were some of the biggest obstacles he faced as an African American in these fields, and how did he navigate them?

A: His biggest challenge, of course, was navigating the country’s overt racism. Although the military had been desegregated and was beginning to evolve, Black service members still faced obstacles in many of the communities where they were stationed. When traveling, my dad had to avoid “sundown towns” and often he was turned away from motels or landlords wouldn’t allow him to lease a rental property. Military officials didn’t offer much help in that area. He just had to figure it out.

I think, too, being a scientist, he faced a lot of professional skepticism. I know it sounds cliché, but he really did have to be twice as good, if not even better than that. For just about his entire career, he was always the only Black weather officer in his detachment, interacting with colleagues who’d never before had Black peers.

Dad was extremely charming, intelligent, and he was a hard worker, so he won people over, but when I look through his military personnel records, there was always one commanding officer who gave him low performance ratings. I have to believe that was because they didn’t want to see him succeed.

Q: In writing about your father’s life, what moments stood out to you — either in terms of his challenges or triumphs?

A: Before I began writing the book, I had no idea what a weather officer was! The Dad I knew was a retired lieutenant colonel, who got up every day and drove to his nine-to-five job at the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, where he worked as a meteorologist. His life in the Air Force was somewhat a mystery to me because I was only 3 years old at the time of his retirement.

As part of my research, I requested my father’s military personnel records, and that’s when I realized how much he’d accomplished. I knew he was a mathematician, but he also developed an extremely high level of scientific and technical expertise. He had an acute understanding of both weather prediction and aeronautics. And in 1961, he led the design and build-out of a weather center at Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming. It was the first such facility on the base that provided weather support to the missile launch crews. So, he also understood the dynamics of missile operations.

Q: The legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen continues to inspire. What message do you want to leave with attendees at this year’s Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day, and how can we ensure these stories remain a vital part of American history?

A: This current climate in our country is actually providing us with opportunities to elevate our voices. I’ve seen so many journalists who are turning away from traditional media and starting their own streaming platforms online. I’ve discovered a few really popular, young Black history influencers on TikTok and Substack. The Tuskegee Airmen community can do the same by tapping into the tech-savvy talent of the younger generation, who can create content and engage with their peers. I think technology and social media can be a great way to keep the story of the Tuskegee Airmen alive.

Q: Your father was a past president of the East Coast Chapter Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., and your uncle, George, was also involved in the chapter. Why do you think it was important to them to honor the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen by investing in the chapter’s mission of inspiring future aviators and aerospace professionals?

A: For whatever reason, my father lived — and my Uncle George continues to live with a strong sense of genealogical consciousness, the idea that collective and personal identities are shaped by behaviors of the past. Therefore, if stories of excellence and achievement are passed along to future generations, those young people will be inspired to live out their hopes and dreams. And this also includes the present.

How are we showing up right now? My dad was intentional about being a role model. He tutored middle- and high school students in math and science. He thought about what kind of legacy he wanted to leave behind, and I know Uncle George is thinking about that, too.

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By David Fax

On Sept. 12, 2024, our nation lost a great American, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Shelton “Ivan” Ware, a Documented Original Tuskegee Airman who passed away at age 101.

Many of us knew that, initially, Lt. Col. Ware enlisted in the Army and served in the famed Red Ball Express, the logistics convoy system of World War II known for rapidly supplying equipment and cargo to Allied forces. As Lt Col. Ware often would say, “We kept the wheels rolling and the guns firing.” 

However, few knew that in the early 1970s, Lt. Col. Ware was instrumental in saving the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Program of Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Howard from closing. Detachment 130, Howard’s ROTC program, was dear to Lt. Col’s Ware’s heart.

In 1948, after the war, he attended Howard and was a student in the university’s very first AFROTC class. In fact, Lt. Col. Ware served as its cadet battalion commander, leading all cadet activities of Detachment 130 before being commissioned and sent to Lockbourne Army Air Base, Ohio.

Things have a way of coming full circle. About 25 years later, Lt. Col. Ware was assigned back to Howard; this time to command Detachment 130 as its professor of aerospace studies. Shortly after arriving and being briefed on its operations, Lt. Col. Ware saw a problem: Cadet student enrollment was down, way down. 

It was the turbulent 1970s marked by persistent and often violent protests against the unpopular Vietnam War. The war was drawing to a close and the mandatory draft was ending. The African American community was still railing from the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Further, a large swath of Americans was losing faith in the “establishment.”  Simply put, students, particularly Black students, had little appetite for serving in the military. 

In Alabama, Air University (AU), the major component responsible for AFROTC programs, was affected by the decrease in enrollment, too. AU considered closing Detachment 130.

When Lt. Col. Ware became aware of these high-level discussions, he knew decisive action was needed to save Howard’s ROTC program. Can’t you just hear him saying, “Not on my watch!” 

Lt. Col. Ware called on some colleagues who had clout among military brass to discuss the situation and craft a response that would ensure Detachment 130’s survival. One of those colleagues was none other than General Daniel “Chappie” James Jr., the first Black four-star general in the Air Force — the first Black four-star general of any U.S. military service for that matter. 

Gen. James, who also was an original Tuskegee Airman, understood the impact that closing Detachment 130 would have on Black officer accessions to the Air Force, at a time when

Black officers accounted for less than 5% of the total officer ranks.

Gen. James asserted his considerable influence to convince Air University that a detachment at one of the nation’s premier HBCUs must survive. To further demonstrate his unwavering support, Gen. James agreed to be a keynote speaker at a Howard University military event. AU was sympathetic, but the numbers still did not support keeping Detachment 130 open.

Thinking creatively, Lt. Col. Ware led an initiative that resulted in Detachment 130 becoming the hub of a “consortium” of neighboring AFROTC detachments where similar enrollment challenges also existed. 

Initially, this consortium consisted of cadets from American University, Catholic University and Georgetown University. Cadets from those schools attended leadership and military studies at their own campuses, but attended the weekly Leadership Laboratory at Howard University. Today’s consortium includes those schools, but has expanded to include George Washington University, Marymount University, Trinity Washington University, and the University of the District of Columbia.

Ware certainly will be remembered for his direct contributions in the face of combat with the Red Ball Express.  But we must also remember Lt. Col. Ivan Ware, who went on to earn a doctorate degree, as the man whose intellect, creativity, connections and determination ensured that Detachment 130 continues its mission of graduating top quality officers for the U.S. Air Force.

A former Howard University student who was taught by Lt. Col. Shelton “Ivan” Ware, David Fax is a retired Air Force officer and member of the East Coast Chapter Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. 

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American Glory is the exultation of American diversity and American exceptionalism. E Pluribus Unum, our national motto, “Out of Many One” speaks to the centrality of diversity in the American ethos. African Americans have made American history more complete by insertions of exceptional African American contributions  performed during periods of national peril and national development . The most exceptional event in the annals of American history was the inauguration of President Barack H. Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America. It represented the triumph of the American spirit over the realities of America’s birth in human slavery. This second inauguration confirms that true equality and justice do inspire what is most revered in American life today.

Critical pressure from the African American press, the church, the NAACP, the Urban League et. al., and Mrs. Roosevelt persuaded President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the War Department and the US Army Air Corps to activate, train and deploy an African American Air Combat group, with support units against the Axis forces during World War II. Their performance contributed to victory in WW II and prompted the US Air Force to integrate itself and so increase efficiency and effectiveness . The air force success led to the integration of all the US Armed Forces and eventually to the integration of America.

The most fitting tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen is inscribed on the statue erected in their honor at the US Air Force Academy:

They rose from adversity through competence, courage and commitment and capacity to serve America on silver wings  and  set a standard few will transcend.

Dr. Ivan Ware - Board Member, East Coast Chapter Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. and Designated Original Tuskegee Airman (DOTA)

by Doug “Snake” Byrd

A 2008 graduate of the East Coast Chapter, Tuskegee Airmen Youth in Aviation Program, I am currently a junior at Emery Riddle Aeronautical University (Andrews AFB Campus). Today, I hold my private pilot’s certificate and instrument rating, and have logged over 318 hours of flight time. I am about a week away from my commercial license and I will pursue my certified flight instructor license.

My goal is to become an airshow performer, flying aerobatics around the world. In doing that, I will spread the word of the Tuskegee Airmen and do my best to keep the legacy alive, promoting peace and understanding while setting a positive example for the youth of the world. In my first aerobatic competition I placed first in primary, and hope to someday make to U.S. Nationals and place first in unlimited.

I owe all my success and future success to the men and women of the Tuskegee Airmen and the East Coast Chapter. If it weren’t for their undying support, I would not be here as I am today. The Tuskegee Airmen essentially built and paved the runway that I have the privilege to take off from today, and have inspired many others to follow in their wake. We are all flying in formation together, following the superb, prestigious example that the Tuskegee Airmen have set.

by Patricia E. Talbert Smith

My dad, Major Edward J. Talbert (Res. Ret.), is a man of few words.  He leads by example, and what a leader he is.  He has taught me how to live a happy life, which I can sum up with a few of his beliefs.

Believe in God.  My dad knows that all things come from God, and he knows to count his blessings—even the ones that might not seem like blessings at the time.  In a prayer he once wrote:

There have been many obstacles placed in my path as I attempted to reach my life goals.  Some of these were the result of my own doings, while others were from various sources…In my early years, I learned that a few words to You asking for help made a difference…After accomplishing my goals, there has always been time aside to thank You for Your blessings.

At age 90, my dad still prays every night before going to bed. 

Family comes first.  My dad would do anything for his family.  I still marvel at how this quiet, strong man was the best babysitter my now 22-year-old daughter ever had.  When he found out his first grandchild was on the way, he called me one day on the phone.  He said, “You know, this is my first grandbaby.  I don’t think just anyone should take care of him or her.  I want to be your babysitter.”  And he was—for the first 18 months of Courtney’s life!  He knew more about her than I did, and they STILL call each other “Best Friend!”  His patience, devotion, love, and excellent care have given her such a precious gift.

True love always prevails.  My dad truly enjoyed his assignment with the 332nd Fighter Group at Lockbourne AFB in Columbus, OH from 1948 to 1950.  He has wonderful stories from this time about Gen. Davis, the work he did as a Supply Officer, and the friends he made.  My favorite story is about the last two weeks he spent all alone on that huge base, as the officer in charge of turning the keys over to the National Guard in July 1950 to signal the beginning of the integration of the Air Force.  And why was he not being assigned to other bases in other countries with his friends?  That was because my mom realized that she didn’t want to leave her teaching career, her family in Anacostia, and her lifelong friends in Washington.  My dad decided to leave his military career behind because he loved her so, and he’s never looked back.   They will celebrate 64 years of marriage in April! 

Always do your best.  My dad has never done anything less—ever!  Whether it was his trailblazing role as an Area Branch Librarian with the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System, his commitment to the Army Reserves, his faithful attendance and leadership first at Bethlehem Baptist Church and later at Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church, his volunteer service at the Spauldings Branch Library, his care of my grandmother and her home, or his line dancing, swimming, and computer classes over the years, my dad has always given 150%.  And this has made me follow suit in my personal and professional life. 

Trust in the Lord. When I had complications carrying Courtney, I fretted during my three months of bed rest that I would lose her.  I did everything the doctors said and took my worries to the Lord.  But somehow, I couldn’t leave them there!  My dad said early in the pregnancy, “The baby will be fine.”  And she absolutely was!!  When I developed a rare and deadly cancer in 2009, he said again simply, “You’ll be fine.”  Not wanting to let him or the rest of my family down, I threw myself into my recovery and I AM fine—with probably more energy and joy in my life than ever before.  I also have no doubt that his nightly prayers were once again instrumental in blessing me.  When you truly put your trust in the Lord, somehow they always do!  

Travel often.  My mom and dad have always traveled. There were cross-country trips, campsites, flights to Europe, and many cruises.  Dad’s favorite spot on earth, however, remains Cape Cod.  I, too, adore Cape Cod with my folks, but I think I love France even more, having lived in there for a year and a half over 30 years ago.  My daughter is living in Nice, France now as a teaching assistant, and I suspect that we were both inspired by Dad’s black and white shot of the beach at Biarritz, where he studied just after the war.

Invest in your children.  My folks have literally given me the world, sacrificing so much for me so I could attend National Cathedral School, Trinity College, and the University of Illinois.  They made my education a priority over material things, as they understood that with it, I would be able to do anything.  We have tried to “pay it forward” with our daughter, and hope that she will do the same with her children.  

Take care of yourself.  Dad has always been vigilant about eating right, exercising and taking only the medications you must.  He gave up smoking his pipe in the 60s, and while he enjoys an occasional glass of white wine, never overdoes on anything.  He is at a healthy weight and looks just great!

Laugh!  Laugh at funny jokes, at funny situations, and most importantly, at yourself!  And he never lets me forget that a little sarcasm sprinkled in can be funny, too.  I learned last year that my cooking is a little different from what Dad is used to eating.  One day, I was getting exasperated and finally asked him, “Would it KILL you to eat this egg-white omelet?”  His answer?  “It might!”

Be humble.  Much like David in the Bible, my dad practices humility and believes that you should never, ever “toot your own horn”.  Part of that is, perhaps, generational (You just did what you had to do to survive the Depression, WWII, and segregation!), but a big part of that is also my dad.  Those who really matter (God and you) know what you’ve done, and that’s enough.  It wasn’t until 2006 that I learned that Dad had even been a part of the Tuskegee Experience.  He never spoke of what he did as miraculous or groundbreaking.  In fact, it took a military parent introducing Dad (“the principal’s father”) at an event at our little parish day school for me to begin to understand the context and the full importance of the roles that all the men and women of Tuskegee played in moving our country forward. 

To say that I am proud of my dad would be an understatement.  And to say that I am honored to be his daughter and so very proud to carry his legacy forward would just embarrass him.  So instead, I will simply say, “Thank you, Dad … for everything!"

Thousands of British West Indians served in the British armed forces during World War II. When Britain declared war on September 19, 1939, the Royal Air Force (RAF) itself was compelled to overcome the prejudices of the time. After the defeat of France in 1940 and the retreat of the British Expeditionary Force at Dunkirk, Britain found itself in dire straits. With advocacy by progressive Britons and British West Indians who spoke out against segregation, the RAF, to its credit, integrated its ranks. Around 7,000 British West Indians rallied to freedom’s cause and served as fighter pilots, bomb aimers, air gunners, ground staff and administration. No other colonies, or group of nations, contributed more airmen to the RAF during World War II. This is even more remarkable, and their commitment more profound, given the small populations of the islands. Several Africans from Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone also became officers in the RAF, with the most notable being RAF Flight Lieutenant Johnny Smythe of Sierra Leone, who was shot down over Germany on his 28th mission and survived imprisonment in the famous Stalag Luft One.

The British West Indian Airmen, like their Tuskegee Airmen allies who served in the US Army Air Corps, came from societies that had once set severe limits on the liberty of those of African descent. After the war, both the Tuskegee Airmen and the British West Indian veterans — in particular those from the RAF — became leaders for beneficial social change for their countries. Their successes spurred the cause of self-determination in the British West Indies, and assisted the independence of Africa. RAF Pilot Officer Errol Barrow led his island of Barbados into independence. Flight Lieutenant Dudley Thompson became Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs after successfully defending Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta during that country’s independence struggle. Thompson also assisted the formation of Tanzania’s Independence Party led by Julius Nyerere. Pilot Officer Milton Cato became the Premier of St. Vincent. RAF Squadron Leader Phillip Louis Ulric Cross, DSO, DFC of Trinidad & Tobago became a judge in Ghana, a special emissary of Kwame Nkrumah’s government to Congo’s new President Patrice Lumumba, and Attorney General of Cameroon. He finally retired as a judge from his nation’s highest court.

And RAF Flight Lieutenant Cy Grant of Guyana, an internationally known thinker, writer and entertainer, became the first person of African descent to have his own show on BBC television. Grant’s legacy was the creation of caribbeanaircrew-ww2.com, along with webmaster Hans Luutwik, the son of the Dutch farmer who assisted him after his Lancaster Bomber was shot down over Holland. His capture in 1943 in the uniform of the RAF caused consternation, as his presence contradicted the Nazi philosophy that persons of African origin were subhuman and incapable of handling aircraft. Grant’s photograph was shown on the front cover July 1943 issue of the Nazi party’s national newspaper, Volkischer Beobatcher, with the caption “We have captured an officer of the Royal Air Force of unknown race.”

By overcoming barriers erected by man’s inhumanity to man, these veterans — like the Tuskegee Airmen — ushered in a new and better world. Their sacrifices opened the way for others to rise. And so, today, we celebrate those who, by taking flight in freedom’s cause, allow humanity the opportunity to pay tribute to the Second Inauguration of President Barack Obama.

This historical rendition, in salute of the Tuskegee Airmen and their allied British West Indian flyers that volunteered to serve in the Royal Air Force in World War II, was brought to you with the compliments of the West Indian American Military Members Association of Andrews Air Force Base.

Contributed by Janet Jones

When I think of my father, Rev. Dr. Milton Holmes, I am reminded of the passion and fervor with which he has embraced life. I realize that much of his character and principles can be traced back to his history as a Tuskegee Airman. He has embedded some of those lessons and methodologies in those he’s taught, trained and raised.

What excited my father most upon his arrival in Class 46-A was the common goal of the entire Tuskegee experience — the pursuit of excellence. Their academic discipline was administered with the same precision as their aeronautical training. To him education was the catalyst for achievement with dignity and integrity. He instilled that principle in me. It was understood that I would graduate from college and strive for success for the remainder of my life. To think otherwise was unacceptable.

The Tuskegee Airmen, according to my father, were a loyal and protective group, emphasizing the importance of teamwork. They were of the mindset, “All for one, one for all.” Those in combat carried that ideology into the European theatre during World War II, where they were assigned to protect the very men who hated them the most — their fellow White American officers. America was their home, and they were proud to serve and defend their country; yet, they were treated worse than the prisoners of war. It was as though they were in the midst of two battles — the world’s and their own.

World War II ended before my father could be deployed. Therefore, he was discharged from the Army Air Corps embittered and determined to disarm racial discrimination with the same passion others employed to strengthen it. He involved himself in the Civil Rights movement. He challenged corporations and politicians in his fight for racial equality, whether as Vice President of the National Alliance of Postal and Federal Employees, the first Black industrial union, or as an Equal Employment Opportunity Specialist, where he won many cases for minorities who faced discrimination. He walked picket lines and participated in the March on Washington.

I’ve watched my father, Dr. Milton Holmes, remain loyal to those who have helped him throughout his life. I’ve witnessed him encourage hundreds of young people to become educated in medicine and law because that was the key to stepping on the neck of racism and poverty. I’ve driven with him to deliver food baskets to the poor, regardless of their color. I’ve sat in the church he pastored and listened to him assure his congregation that God loved them and, to Him, they were equal to all ethnicities.

My father continues to reminisce about his fellow comrades, the Tuskegee Airmen, and the role he played as one of them. I am filled with a sense of pride and humility that he is part of the core of American history.

I have been inspired by Rev. Dr. Milton Holmes to live life with passion, compassion, and faithfulness, pursuing knowledge along the way. I realize that while I may not be mentioned in history books, nor be discovered through archeological artifacts, I, too, am a part of the core of American history through his legacy.

by Gabriel J. Christian, Esq.

At one of our last East Coast Chapter Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. (ECCTAI) meetings of 2012, the idea of a Christmas party to honor those who served in that famed unit in World War II was raised by Dennis McDuffie. Time seemed short, was the opinion of our President, Trent Dudley (Lt. Col., USAF, ret.). It was in that moment, that ECCTAI Board of Directors member Diane Mohr, sidled up to me and whispered, “Gabe, let us salute the Tuskegee Airmen at the President’s Second Inauguration. It is also Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, and January 2013 is the 150th Anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. There will never be another opportunity for such a convergence of events.” Daughter of a Tuskegee Airman and a historian in her own right, she was bang on target. The stars seemed aligned. We needed no further convincing.

In seeking to immortalize the example of those men and women (women served as nurses and administrative staff for the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II) for generations yet unborn, one must first pay close attention to the mental conditioning that allowed those heroes to shrug off the insults of second-class citizenship and forge ahead amidst the tempest. African Americans are a deeply spiritual people; possessed of an indomitable faith from which hope springs eternal. What else accounts for the resilience of the African American church, but that faith? Many a prayer was offered for the success of the Tuskegee pilot training program for those who sought to ensure our freedom against Adolph Hitler’s fascist tide, which brought racial cleansing of “subhuman races” in its wake. It was such an unconquerable thirst for freedom, borne on the wings of faith in the belief that “we shall overcome” that birthed the Tuskegee Airmen. A brief recounting of African Americans in aviation is necessary here.

Jean Jacques Bullard was the first African American military flyer known to history. Denied by an opportunity to serve his own country, Bullard joined the French Foreign Legion during World War I, was wounded in infantry combat and was awarded the Croix de Guerre. Upon recuperation he learnt to fly, and became a flyer in the Lafayette Flying Corps under the French Aeronautique Militaire. He flew twenty missions and shot down two German aircraft in that war. The postwar period saw the rise of famed female aviatrix Bessie Coleman and the legendary Hubert Fauntleroy Julian (of Grenada) the so-called Black Eagle. With the epic flight of Charles Lindbergh across the Atlantic on May 20–21, 1927, it was the dream of many an American youngster to take to the air. A young Benjamin Davis, future leader of the famed Tuskegee Airmen 99th Pursuit Squadron, recalls the thrill of soaring through the DC skies when his father paid a barnstorming pilot to take his son up for a spin during an air show at Bolling Field. In the 1930s African Americans started flight clubs, and William J. Powell — a World War I US Army veteran — graduated as a pilot and aeronautical engineer. He went on to build his own planes in what was the first black-owned aircraft factory. While that factory went bankrupt during the Great Depression, his work spurred others to stick with it.

However, racial discrimination prevented blacks from joining the US Army Air Corps. Such racial prejudice was only overcome by the staunch advocacy of the National Association of Colored People (NAACP) led by Walter White, and Civil Rights leaders, such as A. Phillip Randolph of the Pullman Car Porters Union and Judge William H. Hastie, who fought relentlessly against the racially discriminatory Jim Crow laws. Their efforts persuaded President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s administration to relent. On April 3, 1939 Appropriations Bill Public Law 18, designated funds to train African American pilots. By March 19 1941, the 99th Pursuit Squadron was activated at Chanute Field, in Rantoul, IL. The Tuskegee program itself was formally launched in June 1941, with training at Moton Field, AL adjacent to the Tuskegee Institute. which had been founded by Booker T. Washington. The Airmen were placed under the command of Captain Benjamin O. Davis, only the fourth black graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point up until that time. When war came with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, African Americans rallied to the defense of their country.

We all know that, despite the U.S. War Department’s misgivings about their ability to fly, the Tuskegee Airmen finally saw combat in the skies over Europe. During their war service in World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen covered themselves in glory. In all, 992 pilots trained in Tuskegee from 1941 to 1946. Of the 450 were deployed overseas, 150 lost their lives in accidents or combat. They received three Distinguished Unit Citations, one Silver Star, 96 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 14 Bronze Stars, 744 Air medals and 8 Purple Hearts. The unit destroyed 112 enemy aircraft in air combat and 150 on the ground. In addition the unit sunk a Nazi destroyer, and 40 assorted enemy boats and barges, as well as destroying 950 rail cars and trucks. The success of the Tuskegee Airmen added impetus to the move to desegregate the US Armed Forces. On July 26, 1948, President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981, ending segregation in the military.

Overcoming adversity in pursuit of freedom is an integral part of the American story. What glory resides in that quest for a more perfect union can be seen in President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863, which played only a partial role in abolishing slavery in the Confederate states then in rebellion. However, the Emancipation Proclamation formed the basis for the 13th Amendment, which outlawed slavery in stating that:

Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Unfortunately, due to the post Civil War rise of Jim Crow, it took another century — and the work of the Tuskegee Airmen, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement — to make real the promise of the spirit of 1776 that “All men are created equal.”

Such is the genesis of American Glory! It is a story of African Americans, allied in noble cause with other progressive Americans of all colors, who worked to build a democracy. That coalition of the conscious led to President Barack Obama’s election in 2008 and re-election in 2012.

Our challenge now is to increase the number of women and minorities in aerospace sciences. In times to come, competence in mathematics and the sciences will be critical to our very survival as a species. Where are the aviation or aerospace science clubs in our local schools? We must form them. Are African Americans partnering with African countries to promote aircraft manufacturing or aerospace sciences? The Tuskegee Airmen were studious, honed their skills to compete against all comers, and performed as one coherent team. So too, must we all. We must advise our young, that it is time to set aside smart phones and video game consoles where those items are not tools with which to foster our rise, but mere distractions or impediments to our forward march. We must master the sciences, alongside relationship, leadership and team building, in the spirit of those heroes we celebrate today. In so doing, we enhance our competitive edge. It must be our mission then to complete the unfinished tasks of the Tuskegee Airmen by promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education in our schools, without which we cannot build a dynamic, innovative, entrepreneurial and competitive 21st Century economy.

Our obstacle today is not so much racially restrictive covenants as it is a reluctance to foster new alliances, seize the many opportunities at hand, and emulate the exemplary conduct of those who laid the foundation for our current accomplishments. May we, each of us, commit to joining a Tuskegee Airmen chapter, mentoring at a neighborhood school, or promoting the pursuit of science education by our youth — in particular computer and aerospace sciences. The East Coast Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen has a Youth in Aviation Program (YIAP) that can benefit from boosters, tutors, and sponsors. We welcome all to join with us and make a contribution to nation building. In so doing, we shall grant greater meaning to those few we honor during this American Glory Salute during President Obama’s Second Inauguration. Though frail in body, the Tuskegee Airmen are forever brave of heart. They are the last of that contingent that reported for duty when war came. We may never see the likes of them again. It is therefore right and proper that we salute them for having braced themselves to their duties, at Mankind’s darkest hour. May we always remember them, as we commit ourselves to taking action in conformity with that glorious heritage.

Gabriel J. Christian, Esq., is the Historian of the East Coast Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., and newly elected Parliamentarian (2012). A Maryland trial lawyer, he is also the co-author with Dr. Irving W. Andre of For King & Country: The Service of the British West Indian Military (Pont Casse Press, 2009).