By: Darlene Cargill-Johnson
Many have heard stories of the famed Tuskegee Airmen through movies, documentaries, and word of mouth. What many may not know is that Greater Cleveland is home to more than 100 Documented Original Tuskegee Airmen and women (DOTA”S), the group of African American military pilots and supporting staff who served in World War II.
Before the Tuskegee Airmen, African Americans were being denied entry into the US Army Air Force and its pilot training programs due to the Jim Crow Laws and a series of racist laws that enforced the “separate but equal” treatment of African Americans. This group served bravely and with distinction in every aspect of WWII, while simultaneously struggling for their own civil rights in this country.
Cleveland’s North Coast Chapter Tuskegee Airmen (NCCTA) is seeking to recognize Greater Cleveland’s own Tuskegee Airmen like other cities have done. For example:
Pittsburgh has a permanent tribute at their International Airport and Sawicki, Pennsylvania has a memorial garden dedicated to the Tuskegee Airmen
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Steubenville has a painted mural of two brothers that were pilots who hailed from the city
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The City of Detroit has bronze statues
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The City of Oberlin has a permanent plaque in their city park honoring nine airmen who hail from their city
NCCTA Cleveland’s Heroes Project, with the help of sponsors, hope to address the void in Cleveland with a mural and a bronze statue of, Cleveland native, Benjamin O. Davis Jr., General and Commander of the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. He was the first African-American promoted to General in the United States Air Force in 1954.
This tribute project will acknowledge the many contributions and sacrifices made by Cleveland’s Tuskegee
UyAirmen so that their many accomplishments will not be lost to history.
Please visit the website: Cleredtails.org and feel free to make a donation to assist in bringing this project to fruition.