Tuskegee Airmen Remembered On Veterans Day

 

A Veterans Day event held today aimed to highlight the impact of the first black military airmen during World War II. Dozens attended and walked around the newly renovated historic site at Moton Field. Loved one shared their memories of the Tuskegee Airmen, who were willing to serve their country at a time when they weren’t afforded equal opportunities. 

 

Roy McClaney, served as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force said, “They just set the pace. It just elevated the race so…it made a whole lot of people that didn’t believe in blacks to understand that yeah blacks could fly airplanes and yes they could win battles. And it just inspired me as a child growing up here in Macon County.”

 

There were about 14,000 Tuskegee Airmen between 1941 and 1949, that includes the pilots, trainers, support staff etc. It’s unclear exactly how many are still living.