U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- The Air Force Academy will pay tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen May 2 with a wreath-laying ceremony and parade.
The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 11:15 at the Tuskegee Airmen statue in the Honor Court west of the Cadet Chapel in Polaris Hall.
The event is designed to recognize a major historical milestone for diversity in the Air Force by celebrating the first African-American aviators who began their service during World War II.
The wreath-laying will be followed by a parade on the Terrazzo and a lunch in the Arnold Hall ballroom.
Colorado Springs saxophonist Tony Exum Jr. is slated to provide the entertainment.
This annual tribute is organized and hosted by USAFA’s Way of Life Committee and the Hubert L. “Hooks” Jones Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen Inc.
Tuskegee Facts:
· The “Tuskegee Experience” was the Army Air Corps program to train African-Americans to fly and maintain combat aircraft
· Tuskegee Airmen were African-Americans who, despite racial segregation in the military, answered the call to arms during World War II
· The 99th Fighter Squadron was activated March 22, 1941
· Their name came from their training facility in Tuskegee, Alabama
· Approximately 150 Tuskegee Airmen were killed while training
· 992 men graduated from pilot training by the end of WWII
· 450 Tuskegee graduates flew overseas on combat assignments and escort missions over North Africa and Europe
· The Tuskegee Airmen received the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award which may be bestowed by the United States Congress, in 2007
If weather conditions do not permit a parade, it will be cancelled and the lunch will take place immediately after the wreath-laying ceremony.