Winners of two wars, this memorial honors Iowans who served in the all-black 99th and 332nd Fighter Groups and 477th Bombardment Group from 1943 to 1945 during World War II. The memorial, dedicated November 9, 2002 in Des Moines, Iowa, consists of a full-size fiberglass shell P-51D Mustang painted in classic "Red Tail" colors. It joins three planes on display at the airbase entrance. The Mustang bears the numbers of the two best-known airmen from Iowa, Luther Smith and Robert Williams, but honors all 12 young black men from Iowa, who back then, wanted the chance to fly and to prove themselves. My father was one of those honored in the dedication ceremony. Deeply appreciative and honored, the seven surviving Iowa members of the Tuskegee Airmen gathered at the Iowa Air National Guard 132nd Fighter Wing's headquarters at the Des Moines airport to dedicate the memorial.

My father was a featured speaker at the dedication ceremony. The memorial to the African-American fighter pilots who broke the color barrier during WWII will be located at the new entrance of the Iowa Air National Guard's 132nd Fighter Wing at the Des Moines International Airport.

The HistoryMakers: An Evening with Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee

On October 17 - 18, 2002 my father was honored as one of the 2002 HistoryMakers at their 3rd annual fundraiser. This year, actors Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee were interviewed by activist/educator Angela Davis. The event included seminars for teachers and students entitled "Meet The HistoryMakers: A Day of Education", and was followed by a VIP Salute to The 2002 HistoryMakers reception and dinner at the Wyndham Chicago Hotel. My father shared his story with the HistoryMakers, and it has been recorded for future generations to see and hear.

Minneapolis Star Tribune Newspaper - Variety Section

In May 2002, my father was one of three Tuskegee Airmen to join retired Air Force major Coleman Rader - a former jet fighter pilot - at Fleming Field in South St. Paul and be featured in the article, "We just wanted to fly" by Delma Francis. The four airmen with Minnesota ties, told how their experiences changed their lives. They got to sit at the controls of a restored P-51C Mustang.

Chapter 94 Experimental Aircraft Banquet

In January 2002, my father stated in the Globe Gazette (Mason City/Clear Lake, Iowa) that his goal is to give recognition to a World War II group who did not make it into the history books. He was a featured speaker at the Chapter 94 Experimental Aircraft Association Banquet in Clear Lake, Iowa.

The Red Tail Project - "Realizing the Dream" Warbirds Weekend

In August 1997, students at Central Alternative High School in Dubuque, Iowa knew nothing about the Tuskegee Airmen. Then, they undertook an effective letter-writing campaign that generated first-person accounts from Tuskegee Airmen across the counry, and a public speaking schedule to foster community interest and financial support to help restore a P-51C fighter plane. The culmination of the students efforts was a "Realizing the Dream" Warbirds Weekend at Dubuque Regional Airport on October 12-14, 2001. Students wrote and sold their own 230-page research bookand invited four Tuskegee Airmen to take part in a public seminar, and contributed more than $5,200 to the Confederate Air Force's Southern Minnesota Wing's Red Tail Project. The P-51C is now fully restored. My father was one of the local WWII veterans to be honored. The event was enthusiastically supported by crowds who picked up souvenirs and got autographs.