Tuskegee Airman Vernon Hopson died in Minneapolis on August 28, 2009 at the age of 84. Hopson grew up 60 miles southeast of Austin, TX. He entered military service in July 1943 and applied for Aviation Cadet Flight Training in Biloxi, MS. He was assigned to Tuskegee, Alabama and by November 1944, he was rated in the Curtis P-40 at Tuskegee and assigned to the Operational Training Unit in North Carolina, He was soon assigned as a fighter pilot with the 477th Composite Group, flying P-47s to escort B-25 bombers for deployment to the Pacific. His Air Force assignment was cut short due to the end of WWII, but Hopson made it a career. He became a USAF Air Traffic Controller and served in Japan, Guam, Korea, Greenland and Italy. He retired from the military in 1963. Hopson continued to use his expertise in his civilian life, working for the FAA in Air Traffic Control in Chicago, Minneapolis, and St. Paul until his retirement in 1982. He was active in his support of the Red Tail Project, which focuses on educating the public about the courage and accomplishments of the Tuskegee Airmen. His most recent appearance with the Red Tail Project was on August 5 at a homecoming ceremony for the Project’s red tail Mustang at Fleming Field in South St. Paul following a 5-year, $1 million restoration of the airplane.

He will be dearly missed by his wife, Norma, brother, Jesse and many other family members and friends.

Visitation will be from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. TONIGHT (Thursday) at the Thomson-Dougherty Funeral Home, 2535 Park Avenue South, Minneapolis, 55404. The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, September 4 at Macedonia Baptist Church, 3801 1st Avenue South, Minneapolis, 55409. Interment will follow at 1 p.m. at Fort Snelling during which the Red Tail Project’s red tail Mustang will take part in a military flyover to honor Hopson’s life and service to his country.

For more information about the Red Tail Project, visit www.redtail.org or call 1.877.522.2988.

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On Wednesday, August 5, 2009 the Minnesota Wing of the Commemorative Air Force will welcome one of its most popular airplanes, a red-tailed P-51C Mustang, back to the hangar after a five year absence. The short, informal ceremony, featuring a fly-over by the airplane before landing, will take place at 2:30 p.m. at the Wing’s headquarters - Hangar #3 Fleming Field, 310 Airport Road, South St. Paul, MN 55075.

The Red Tail Project, an all-volunteer non-profit organization associated with the Minnesota Wing, just completed a $1 million restoration of the Mustang, named Tuskegee Airmen. The Mustang had been restored once before and toured the air show circuit for three years starting in July 2001. Its pilots and crew took every opportunity to tell audiences across the country the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first black fighter pilots to serve in the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII.

The Tuskegee Airmen painted the tails of their fighters red and as they proved their skill and courage in the skies over Italy and Germany, bomber pilots began requesting the “red tail angels.” The Airmen flew hundreds of missions and earned hundreds of metals and designations, including the Congressional Gold Metal in 2007 in honor of their war service to the United States.

The Red Tail Project’s Mustang crashed due to catastrophic mechanical failure at the Red Wing Air Show in May 2004, killing the Project’s leader, Don Hinz, and destroying the airplane. The members of the Red Tail Project never doubted that the plane would one day fly again so it was trucked up to Tri-State Aviation in Wahpeton, ND, and fundraising began. A group of stalwart volunteers worked closely with the staff of Tri-State to rebuild the Mustang so it could continue to serve as a tool to create interest in the history and legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen.

Now that the restoration is complete, the Red Tail Project will focus on the development of an educational traveling exhibit. This “museum on wheels” with the theme of “Rise Above”, will have interactive displays that tell the story of the Tuskegee Airmen and their role in WWII and the desegregation of the U.S. armed services.

The Mustang will be one of several aircraft featured at the Minnesota Wing’s free charity open house and fly-in on Saturday, August 8, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The “Wings For Hope” event will benefit six charitable organizations, including Halo R.E.A.C.H. A Child. They will also be collecting non-perishable food items for local food shelves like Second Harvest Heartland. Guests will have the opportunity to get up close to exciting airplanes like the B-25 Miss Mitchell, an AT-6 Texan, a BT-13 and others. In addition, history rides will be available in the B-25 Mitchell. The event promises to be fun and educational for the entire family.

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CAF P-51C Tuskegee Airmen to Debut at EAA AirVenture 2009

MIDLAND, TEXAS (July 24, 2009) –Join the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) in celebrating the Red Tail Project P-51C Tuskegee Airmen’s return to the skies at a press conference Wednesday, July 29 at 9:45 AM in Aero Shell Square, at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.

Following five years of hard-work through the CAF’s Red Tail Project, the Tuskegee Airmen achieved first flight just days before the premier aviation event of the year. Representatives from the CAF and the Red Tail Project of the CAF’s Minnesota Wing will be on hand in Oshkosh to share with AirVenture attendees the plans for the future of the P-51 and the new CAF education program, Rise Above.

“This unique P-51 celebrates a group of men who offered their lives to preserve our freedom,� said CAF President and CEO, Stephan Brown. “There is no better place to share such an important piece of history than at AirVenture Oshkosh, where aviation enthusiasts from around the world will have the opportunity to join us in honoring this extraordinary project.�

The P-51C Tuskegee Airmen is dedicated to telling the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, the World War II fighter group composed of African-American pilots and support personnel who fought discrimination and prejudice in order to serve their country. This aircraft will be used once again to spread that message and expose people to the extraordinary gentlemen who set such an inspirational example. CAF’s Rise Above education program is the next step sharing the story with the American people.

Fundraising will soon begin on behalf of the Rise Above educational program to create a travelling exhibition that will precede the P-51 to different venues. A 53-foot trailer will house exhibits to further tell the incredible story of the great American heroes known as the Tuskegee Airmen.

In May 2004, the P-51C Tuskegee Airmen suffered a catastrophic engine failure near Red Wing, Minnesota. The resulting accident claimed the life of the project’s leader and pilot Don Hinz. In the years following the devastating accident, the CAF Red Tail Project volunteers have worked tirelessly to honor Hinz’s memory by restoring the project that he helped to create. The return of the P-51C Tuskegee Airmen to the skies is a product of the dedication of many CAF members, volunteers and worldwide financial supporters.

Collecting, restoring and flying vintage historical aircraft for more than half a century, the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) ranks as one of the largest private air forces in the world. The CAF is dedicated to Honoring American Military Aviation through flight, exhibition and remembrance. A non-profit educational association, the CAF has approximately 9,000 members and a fleet of 156 airplanes representing more than 60 different types – including airplanes from several foreign countries and military conflicts since World War II. For more information, visit www.commemorativeairforce.org or www.redtail.org or call (432) 563-1000.

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CAF P-51C Tuskegee Airmen is Airborne Again

MIDLAND, TEXAS (July 23, 2009) –The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) is proud to announce the Red Tail Project P-51C Tuskegee Airmen’s return to the skies. The first flight after a complete restoration was at 6:51 pm CDT on July 22, in Wahpeton, North Dakota.

A culmination of five years hard work under the CAF’s Red Tail Project has resurrected the P-51C Tuskegee Airmen to flying condition. When the aircraft suffered a catastrophic engine failure near Red Wing, Minnesota in May of 2004, the resulting accident claimed the life of one of the Red Tail Project’s leader and pilot Don Hinz. Hinz had the “…objective to carry the lessons and legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen into every classroom in America.� Red Tail Project volunteers have dedicated themselves to honoring Hinz’s memory by restoring the P 51 C Tuskegee Airmen. Marine Captain Ben Hinz, son of Don and a Marine F-18 pilot flew in to witness the first flight.

Many CAF Red Tail Project volunteers were on hand as well to cheer on the return of the P-51C Tuskegee Airmen to the skies. The first flight is a dedication to the cumulative endeavors of many CAF members, supporters and worldwide financial supporters.

“This day represents the culmination of thousands of individual’s time, effort, money and passion. It has been an incredible team effort and I am humbled by the experience�, Project Leader and Lead pilot Doug Rozendaal said. “From a pilot’s perspective, the flight exceeded my expectations in every way.�

The P-51C Tuskegee Airmen is dedicated to telling the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, the World War II fighter group composed of African-American pilots and support personnel who fought discrimination and prejudice in order to serve their country. This aircraft will be used once again to spread that message and expose people to the extraordinary gentlemen who set such an inspirational example.

Announcements will be forthcoming at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh during an official press conference in Oshkosh, WI next week regarding the future of CAF’s Tuskegee Airmen and the CAF’s Red Tail Project’s new educational program, Rise Above. “It will be exciting to bring the airplane to AirVenture Oshkosh, where it will be once again a tool to tell the powerful story of the Tuskegee Airmen�, said Rozendaal. Fundraising will soon begin on behalf the Rise Above program to create a travelling exhibition that will precede the P-51 at different venues across America, to further tell the incredible story of the great American heroes known as the Tuskegee Airmen.

Collecting, restoring and flying vintage historical aircraft for more than half a century, the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) ranks as one of the largest private air forces in the world. The CAF is dedicated to Honoring American Military Aviation through flight, exhibition and remembrance. A non-profit educational association, the CAF has approximately 9,000 members and a fleet of 156 airplanes representing more than 60 different types – including airplanes from several foreign countries and military conflicts since World War II. For more information, visit www.commemorativeairforce.org or www.redtail.org or call (432) 563-1000.

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