Smiling Heroes: Tuskegee Airmen Finally Get Their Due

"Red Tails", the high flying action packed production on the Tuskegee Airmen by George Lucas, opened in theaters nationwide on January 20, 2012. Their heroics is a tribute to diversity, teaching us that courage has no boundaries. Honoring the noble legacy of these great American's is my blog originally posted on March 30, 2007:

The honor is well-deserved but long overdue. More than fifty years after they helped defeat Hitler and the Nazis in World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African American young men who received pilot wings and commissions between 1942 and 1946, were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal yesterday at a White House Ceremony.

At a time when these men could not eat, be educated, ride the bus, or use the same restrooms as white men, they chose to bravely serve America. In the face of danger abroad and prejudice at home, they fought to defend liberty though they had not yet fully achieved it for themselves.

As I see the grateful smiles on the faces of these champions of freedom, I am convinced that they are the most honorable and deserving of the word hero.

[Reprinted from www.tuskegeeairmen.org]

The Tuskegee Airmen were dedicated, determined young men who enlisted to become America's first black military airmen, at a time when there were many people who thought that black men lacked intelligence, skill, courage and patriotism. They came from every section of the country, with large numbers coming from New York City, Washington, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and Detroit. Each one possessed a strong personal desire to serve the United States of America at the best of his ability.

The black airmen who became single-engine or multi-engine pilots were trained at Tuskegee Army Air Field (TAAF) in Tuskegee Alabama. The first aviation cadet class began in July 1941 and completed training nine months later in March 1942. Thirteen started in the first class. Five successfully completed the training, one of them being Captain Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., a West Point Academy graduate. The other four were commissioned second lieutenants, and all five received Army Air Corps silver pilot wings.

From 1942 through 1946, nine hundred and ninety-four pilots graduated at TAAF, receiving commissions and pilot wings. Black navigators, bombardiers and gunnery crews were trained at selected military bases elsewhere in the United States. Mechanics were trained at Chanute Air Base in Rantoul, Illinois until facilities were in place in 1942 at TAAF.

The outstanding record of black airmen in World War II was accomplished by men whose names will forever live in hallowed memory. Each one accepted the challenge, proudly displayed his skill and determination while suppressing internal rage from humiliation and indignation caused by frequent experiences of racism and bigotry, at home and overseas. These airmen fought two wars - one against a military force overseas and the other against racism at home and abroad.

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The White House Congressional Medal of Honor Ceremony	Click here to visit site
Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.	Click here to visit site

Remembering the Dream: Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

As the nation honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on January 16th, a testament to his greatness is that nearly every major city in America has a street or school named after him.

After his death in Memphis on April 4, 1968, the words of Martin Luther King Jr. still hold captivating influence and inspiring gracefulness:

On Equality (Birmingham jail, 1963)
"Before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, we were here. Before the pen of Jefferson etched across the pages of history the majestic words of the Declaration, we were here."

On Nonconformity (1963)
"The saving of our world from pending doom will come, not through the complacent adjustment of the conforming majority, but through the creative maladjustment of a nonconforming minority."

On Civil Rights (Selma to Montgomery, 1965)
"We are moving to the land of freedom. Let us march to the realization of the American dream."

On Peace (1964)
"Sooner or later all the people of the world will have to discover a way to live together in peace and thereby transform this pending cosmic elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood."

On the Dream of Freedom (1964)
"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed...that all men are created equal."

On Freedom (1963)
"So let freedom ring. From the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire let freedom ring. From the mighty mountains of New York, let freedom ring. From the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania, let freedom ring. But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi..."

On the Future (April 3, 1968 – the night before his murder)
"I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land. So I'm happy tonight, I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord."

Listen to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Serving

Calling on President Obama to Commit Resources to Stop the Violence in Chicago

A 14-year-old boy was shot in the neck while walking to school in Chicago on January 12, 2012. One day earlier an 18-year-old was shot and killed. There is no end in sight to years of violence inflicting Chicago youth and hope is fading. I once again call upon President Obama to respond with full force leadership to this tragic epidemic. My initial request to the President on October 6, 2009 as documented here remains critical:

Vincent Bove Blog/Initiative Request to President Obama on October 6, 2009
When asked in an October 1, 2009 press briefing whether the President was going to address the Chicago violence concerns to the Olympic Committee, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs replied

"Obviously it's of great concern to the President, as somebody who lives in Chicago, but would and should be a concern for every American. This isn't a Chicago problem; this is violence -- youth violence is a problem throughout our country. The President is concerned and has asked that next Wednesday, Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Attorney General Eric Holder travel to Chicago. They'll meet with officials from the school, meet with students and meet with the community to talk about the issues of school violence and youth violence."

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"Talking about the issues" is simply not enough. It is time for action; anything less is just more politically expedient rhetoric.

I call upon President and Mrs. Obama to establish a Stop the Violence Olympics for Chicago—nothing less than a full-force effort and allocation of resources equal to that of the effort and resources that would have been necessary to host the Olympics. If hosting the Olympics would have been worth the effort, then the saving of lives from senseless bloodshed is so much more worth it.

According to various published reports, over 500 students have been shot, more than 100 fatally, since 2006. Most recently, the beating death of 16-year-old Derrion Albert has captured the nation's attention.

AP Report 3 Charged in Beating Death of Chicago Student (1:28)

<A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VwgGHrDdX0">Play the clip on YouTube</A>

These sobering statistics of violence and death in Chicago indicate a state of emergency and beckon an immediate collaborative response from every level of the government and community. The eyes of the nation must now turn to Chicago, not as a city preparing for the Olympic Games but as a city committed to transforming a culture of violence into one of opportunity and hope.

LETTER TO PRESIDENT AND MRS. OBAMA

October 6, 2009

President and Mrs. Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President and Mrs. Obama,

Now that lobbying for hosting the 2016 Olympic Games is behind us, a more urgent task is at hand. It is time for an Olympian effort to end the bloodshed plaguing the communities of Chicago.

I implore you to make the elimination of violence in the windy city a top priority of your administration. If we agree that it would have been a worthwhile investment to prepare the city to host the 2016 Olympics, how much more is the value of human life? We must work to find a way to save lives, reduce hostility, and create a national model for the "audacity of hope" in all our urban areas suffering the scourge of senseless brutality.

So I propose that the White House declare a Stop the Violence Olympics for Chicago. As immediately as is possible, an organizing effort should be made on the same scale as would have been necessary to prepare the city for the Olympics. Resources from throughout government, private industry, and the local community must be brought together in a collaborative effort that will serve notice that violence will no longer be tolerated.

In addition, a torch should be lit in the city and remain burning as a reminder and symbol to all that we are serious about bringing change and hope to the affected Chicago communities.

President and Mrs. Obama, with the eyes of the nation and the world upon the devastation in Chicago, the time has come to stand with courage and certainty to answer the question "Can they stop the violence on the streets of Chicago?"

The only answer must be the same as the mantra of your Presidency—a resounding "YES WE CAN!"

Respectfully,

Vincent J.Bove

READ MORE

Beating Death Of Derrion Albert, 16, Caught On Video	Click here to visit site
508 Chicago Students Shot in 16 Months	Click here to visit site
2008 saw increased violence in Chicago, statistics show	Click here to visit site
CeaseFire The Campaign to STOP the Shooting	Click here to visit site
Google Search: Chicago Violence	Click here to visit site