Tuskegee Airmen Are Honored for Their Contributions to America and Aviation History
Fourteen Tuskegee Airmen were honored today at a banquet at the Frontiers of Flight Museum featuring Herb Kelleher, Southwest Airlines Executive Chairman and an avid history buff. Two local Airmen, Captain Claude Platte of Fort Worth and Colonel Lloyd McKeethen of Cedar Hill, along with 11 Airmen from across the United States, were honored for their aviation and military contributions. At the banquet, a T-6 Texan aircraft, the last authentic Tuskegee Airmen aircraft in existence, was on display in the background. The first-place winners of a Dallas Independent School District (DISD) essay contest focusing on the Tuskegee Airmen were recognized, and the event also included the unveiling of a museum exhibit showcasing the Airmen's artifacts.
Due to the efforts of two Southwest Airlines Dallas-based mechanics, Dale Dixon and Gordon Guillory, the Southwest Maintenance department, and sponsoring organizations, the Dallas/Fort Worth community has an opportunity to meet the first Airmen of color. Today's event is one of several in the Dallas and Fort Worth communities to honor these Airmen who are a part of American history.
"As an African-American male, I did not know about the Tuskegee Airmen until I was 25 years old. I want children, including my own, to know the significance of these men," said Guillory, a seven-year Employee at Southwest.
"I was inspired by the Tuskegee Airmen story - a story of determination and persistence despite the odds being against them. To me, the Airmen are an inspiration and mentors not only to the African-American community but to the entire American community because they overcame adversity and achieved their goals," said Dixon, a nine-year Employee at Southwest and 15-year member of the U.S. Naval Reserves.
The event kicked off with musical selections from the A. Maceo Smith High School and Greiner Exploratory Arts Academy Choirs. It was followed by a prayer led by Mary Ann Burton, DISD Area Advisory Reading Teacher. The presentation of colors was performed by A. Maceo Smith High School. A Southwest Airlines Employee, Valerie LaGrone, sang the national anthem.
Dallas City Councilman Leo Chaney Jr. and DISD School Board Trustee Hollis Brashear praised the Airmen's legacy. Kelleher, the banquet's keynote speaker, shared his admiration and anecdotes about the Airmen's contributions. "I am honored to be in the presence of outstanding men who made history with their struggle and ultimately with their excellence. The story of the Tuskegee Airmen is a story for all of America," Kelleher said. In closing the event, the Tuskegee Airmen shared their memories and anecdotes about their aviation experiences in World War II.
Along with the banquet, the Tuskegee Airmen were honored earlier in the day at the Southwest Airlines maintenance facility with a flyby of historic vintage aircraft. The event included a flyby of an F-16, T-6 Texan, and P-51 Mustang aircraft. The T-6 and P-51 aircraft were used by the Airmen in their training missions and combat assignments. The T-6 aircraft displayed throughout the banquet is the only remaining warbird can be traced back to Tuskegee Army Air Field and to have served most of the war there.
During the weekend, Dixon and Guillory will host the Airmen as they are recognized at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Air Show in Ft. Worth. The Tuskegee Airmen visit is made possible by the generous support of Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, DISD, Hertz, High Power Aviation, Lockheed Martin, and various corporate and individual sponsors.
The Tuskegee Airmen consisted of approximately 1,000 African-American pilots trained at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Tuskegee, Alabama, between 1941 and 1946. During World War II, the 332nd Fighter Group, comprised exclusively of African-American pilots trained at Tuskegee and they never lost a bomber to enemy fighters, the only fighter group to boast that record. The Red-Tailed Angels, as the Tuskegee Airmen came to be known, flew aircraft such as the P-51 with crimson tails.
Southwest Airlines was recognized by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) in 2003 for its commitment and support of the airline's Employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve. At the height of the recent conflict, Southwest Airlines had 173 Employees called to serve and 73 remain on military leave.
Southwest Airlines, the nation's largest carrier in terms of domestic passengers enplaned (according to DOT data for the third quarter of 2004), currently serves 60 airports in 59 cities in 31 states. Based in Dallas, Southwest operates 2,900 flights a day and has 32,000 employees systemwide. The carrier will begin service to Pittsburgh on May 4, 2005.
Media Please Contact:
Public Relations at 214/792-4847