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Tuskegee Airmen chapter to honor

World War II service members

with wreath-laying ceremony

WASHINGTON — The East Coast Chapter Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. (ECCTAI) will recognize the groundbreaking legacy of the World War II service members during its annual Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day (TACD) and Wreath-Laying Ceremony from 10 a.m. to noon on March 27 at the U.S. Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.

Typically held on the fourth Thursday of each March, TACD ensures the bravery, sacrifice and enduring impact of deceased members of the nearly 19,000 primarily Black men and women who comprised the “Tuskegee Airmen Experience” are never forgotten.

This year’s event will feature speaker Kelly V. Porter, author of “The Weather Officer,” a biography of her father, Alonzo Smith Jr., a Navy and Air Force veteran who was among the nation’s first Black meteorologists. Inspired by the Tuskegee Airmen, Porter said her father dedicated his career to breaking barriers in weather forecasting, a field critical to aviation success.

H. Thomas "Tommy" Herndon Jr., president of ECCTAI, emphasized the importance of acknowledging the Tuskegee Airmen’s contributions and advancing their mission.

“The Tuskegee Airmen fought enemy forces abroad and prejudices at home,” Herndon said. “Their victories — on the battlefield and in American society — paved the way for integration in the military and beyond. We must continue to honor their memory, educate future generations and maintain their spirit of excellence.”

Invited guests include key legislators from the Washington, D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area, senior military and veteran officials, as well as aviation executives. Together, they will pay tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen’s enduring contributions and recommit to preserving their legacy for future generations.

In a collective tribute to the valiant spirit of the Tuskegee Airmen, Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland, Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia and Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington, D.C., each issued proclamations declaring March 27, 2025, as Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day. The unified recognition across the region underscores a joint commitment to uplifting the legacy of the airmen.

The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African American military aviators in U.S. history, serving in the Army Air Forces during World War II. More than 16,000 men and women, including pilots, navigators, flight engineers, bombardiers, mechanics and support personnel were part of the Tuskegee Airmen Experience. The pilots flew more than 15,500 combat sorties and earned 96 Distinguished Flying Crosses. Their success in combat helped lead to the integration of the U.S. armed forces in 1948.

However, their numbers are dwindling. Of the nearly 1,000 original combat pilots, only one remains, and about 16 Tuskegee Airmen are still alive, according to Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., the national organization that has oversight of the more than 50 chapters around the country and tracks the original airmen.

ECCTAI continues the mission of the Tuskegee Airmen by exposing high school students to aviation and aerospace sciences with its Youth in Aviation Program, and by  supporting college students through an educational-assistance award program.

For more information about Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day and information about ECCTAI, visit www.ecctai.org.

ABOUT THE EAST COAST CHAPTER TUSKEGEE AIRMEN, INC.

Founded in 1973, the East Coast Chapter Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. (ECCTAI) is the oldest and largest chapter of the renowned Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. ECCTAI has about 100 members from diverse backgrounds, which include Tuskegee Airmen heritage-kindred descendants, active-duty and retired military, civil servants and private citizens from all walks of life. At one time, the chapter included more than 50 Documented Original Tuskegee Airmen, combat veterans of World War II who received their military training at Tuskegee, Alabama. ECCTAI provides educational assistance scholarships to students and produces a Youth in Aviation Program that preserves the Tuskegee Airmen’s legacy and supports workforce development initiatives in underserved and underrepresented communities. ECCTAI’s geographical focus area is the District of Columbia and its surrounding areas in Maryland and Virginia. The chapter is incorporated in Washington, D.C., and has its 501(C)3 designation.

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PHOTO & CAPTONS

Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Robert D. Bowie, left, and Jerome Hodge, former president of the East Coast Chapter Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. pay tribute to deceased members of World War II’s Tuskegee Airmen during the Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day (TACD) and Wreath-laying Ceremony in March 2024 at the U.S. Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. Typically held on the fourth Thursday of each March, TACD ensures the bravery, sacrifice, and enduring impact of the nearly 19,000 primarily Black men and women who comprised the “Tuskegee Airmen Experience” are never forgotten. (Photo by Patricia McDougall)

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President Biden recognizes

2024 Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day

March 28, 2024

I send my warmest greetings to all those celebrating National Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day -- a time to honor the story, service, and sacrifice of the Black pilots, bombardiers, navigators, mechanics, instructors, and crewmembers who changed the course of history. 

It's a story that continues to inspire us today. Daring and determined, the Tuskegee Airmen blazed a new path -- becoming our Nation's first Black military pilots. They flew and supported over 15,000 sorties in battle and destroyed over 100 enemy aircraft. They defended the Allies and became one of the most decorated fighter groups during World War II. 

Time and again, they risked their own safety for the safety of their fellow Americans, stepping up to fly some of our country's most dangerous and critical missions.

Read President Biden’s entire March 28 letter here:

Watch the wreath-laying ceremony on YouTube

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Wreath-laying ceremony, presidential letter highlight TUSKEGEE AIRMEN COMMEMORATION DAY

In a solemn tribute to honor its deceased “Lonely Eagles” members, the East Coast Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen Inc. (ECCTAI) held a wreath-laying ceremony March 28 at the U.S. Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.

The ceremony, part of Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day (TACD), is typically held on the fourth Thursday in March and recognizes the nearly 15,000 men and women from various military professions who comprised the “Tuskegee Airmen Experience.”  

“Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day is more than just an annual event,” said Jerome Hodge, president of ECCTAI, who attended the event. “It’s an opportunity to honor the legacy of the courageous Tuskegee Airmen and to motivate, inspire and stimulate young people to seek and achieve successful careers in the fields of aviation and aerospace.”

Besides Hodge, other officials at the wreath-laying ceremony included keynote speaker retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Robert D. Bowie, former special assistant to the Director Air National Guard for the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Energy, Installations, and Environment, Headquarters Air Force; Jerry Burton, president of the national Tuskegee Airmen Inc.; distinguished senior military leaders; officials from key veteran service organizations; and aviation executives.

The ceremony came on the eve of a message from President Biden, who formally recognized Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day on March 28. The president’s message was hailed by Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), who, in partnership with ECCTAI and TAI, led a group of members requesting the president acknowledge Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day on the fourth Thursday in March.

“When we called on the president to recognize this day last year, we did so in honor of the heroic sacrifices made by these men and women in our country’s hour of need, as well as their trailblazing legacy for Black members of our military and Black aviators at large,” Rep. Blunt Rochester said. “This is a terrific day for the state of Delaware, which is home to a rich history and lineage of Tuskegee Airmen.”

Rep. Holmes Norton agreed, adding, "As an elite corps of African American pilots and crew, as well as others, who fought in World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen deserve this recognition from President Biden. Thank you, President Biden, for your acknowledgement. It will be deeply meaningful to the veterans, their family members, and the succeeding generations of Black service members who surely deserve our thanks.”

TAI president Burton and ECCTAI president Hodge also commended the presidential salute.

“President Biden’s recognition of Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day reaffirms the enduring legacy of these trailblazers and their contributions to the military and society,” they said in a statement. “This acknowledgment not only celebrates the airmen’s historic achievements, but also motivates us to continue inspiring future generations to soar beyond any limits imposed by prejudice or discrimination."

The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of air crew and support personnel associated with the segregated flying units of the U.S. Army Air Forces who fought in World War II. Their many successes paved the way for the desegregation of the U.S. military in July 1948.

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How you can support young aspiring aviators

We invite you to help shape the enduring legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen.  With your donation, you will be ensuring that we achieve the/our national goal of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., “to motivate, inspire and stimulate young people's minds to aspire to, seek and achieve successful careers in the fields of aviation and aerospace.” The funds raised will impact the lives of our aspiring youth through our programs that include educational assistance scholarships focused on STEM and hands-on training in the aviation field through our Herbert Jones, Jr. Youth In Aviation Program.

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Please visit our website at: www.ecctai.org/donate

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