Feb 10, 2015
For Immediate Release
Rebecca Harris
Special Events Coordinator
City of Phenix City
Parks and Recreation
334-291-4719
706-984-4151
Phenix City, AL—2.10.2015: Help welcome THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN to the Bi-City February 18th, 19th and 20th for a rare opportunity to speak to them personally.
Special guests Mr. Val Archer, Mr. Wilbur S. Mason, and Mr. Hillard Pouncy will be here to tell us about their experiences as TUSKEGEE AIRMEN.
They will make appearances on Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at the following locations: Kendrick High School from 10:00 to 11:15 a.m. and at Westview Elementary School 4th – 6th graders from 1:00 -2:15 p.m. and a very special appearance at THE AMERICAN LEGION POST 135 where they will be speaking to Military Veterans and Family Members.
They will begin their day on Thursday February 19th, at Davis Broadcasting from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Next they appear on Dee Armstrong Talk Show from 11:45 to 1:30 p.m. and their visit will continue at an event called “A CONVERSATION WITH THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN” at The Idle Hour Park Community Center located at 4743 Moon Lake Drive in Phenix City Alabama. The event starts at 6:00 p.m. with a special MEDIA ONLY session until 6:30 p.m. and the public is invited to begin the conversations at 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
This is a great opportunity to meet the airmen and learn more about their experiences and what they are doing now. There is NO ADMSISSION FEE for this event. However, donations can be made to The ACE ACADEMY, which is sponsored by Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.
On Friday February, they will go to Central High School and speak to 11th & 12th graders and conclude their visit at Glenwood School from 1:00 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. Please come out and express your appreciation to these wonderful veterans called THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN.
The Tuskegee Airmen are a group of African- American military pilots (fighters and bombers) who fought in World War II. Formally, they are the 332nd Fighter group and the 477th Bombardment Group of The United States Army Air Force. The Tuskegee Airmen also performed the duties of Navigators, Bombardiers, Mechanics, Instructors, Crew Chiefs, Nurses, Cooks and other personnel for the pilots.
The Tuskegee Airmen overcame segregation and prejudice to become one of the most highly respected fighter groups of World War II. They proved conclusively that African Americans could fly and maintain sophisticated combat aircraft. The Tuskegee Airmen’s achievements, together with the men and women who supported them, paved the way for full integration of the U.S. military. In fact, many historians credit the success of the Tuskegee Airmen as the motivation for President Harry Truman to sign Executive Order 9981 in July 1948, which ended segregation in the U.S. military, and arguably paved the way for the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education decision that integrated public schools.
“A Conversation With The Tuskegee Airmen” is presented to you Phenix City Parks and Recreation. Special thanks to Reginald R. Stephens, Coordinator of New Life Events, without whom, this opportunity to meet The TUSKEGEE AIRMEN would not have been possible.
Please contact Rebecca Harris at Phenix City Parks and Recreation for details: 334-291-4719 or 706-984-4151.
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