TUSKEGEE AIRMEN GOLD MEDAL BILL SIGNED INTO LAW

WASHINGTON - President Bush Gives Final Approval to Congressman Rangel's Legislation Conferring Highest Congressional Award on African-American WWII Heroes

The legislation conferring the Congressional Gold Medal on the Tuskegee Airmen in recognition of their heroism in World War II was signed into law today, Congressman Charles Rangel announced.

"This is the culmination of a huge effort by many people to grant the recognition to the Tuskegee Airmen that they have earned and so well deserve," Congressman Rangel said. "I especially want to thank Senator Carl Levin of Michigan who carried this bill successfully in the Senate and worked with me every step of the way to get us to this day."

The bill was signed by President George Bush at 10:00 a.m. today in a private bill-signing at the White House. It was passed in its final version by the House of Representatives on February 28, 2006, and by the Senate on March 27th.

The Gold Medal, Congress' most distinguished civilian award, will be presented to the Tuskegee Airmen, collectively, in ceremonies in the U.S. Capitol rotunda in Washington, D.C. later this year. As authorized under the law, the President will present the specially designed Gold Medal on behalf of Congress. Designed by the U.S. Mint, the award medal containing 15-ounces of gold will be housed at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, and made available for temporary display at museums around the country. Bronze replicas will be stamped for sale to the public.

The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of 994 African American pilots who gained fame during WWII for their heroism escorting American bombers in raids over Europe and North Africa. Their distinguished service is credited with influencing President Truman to desegregate the U.S. military. Among the surviving Airmen living in New York are: educator Roscoe Brown, broadcast executive Percy Sutton, and business executive Lee Archer.

Originally listed on: http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ny15_rangel/CBRStatementTuskegeeBillSigned04112006.html