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Overview In August of 1997, students at Central Alternative High School in Dubuque, Iowa, had never even heard of the Tuskegee Airmen.
Part 1
Getting Started
Part 2
Making Historical Connections
Part 3
The Airmen Respond
Part 4
The Community Responds
The Tuskegee Airmen Research Project and Seminar
by John Adelmann
The Community Responds
During the question and answer period after the formal presentation, Dr. James Bowman, retired assistant superintendent of the Des Moines, Iowa, public school system, rose from his seat in the audience and addressed the citizens of Dubuque. Luther Smith had given me Bowman's name; we tracked him down and invited him to attend the seminar. He, too, was a Tuskegee Airman, class of 1945A, who flew P40s and P-47s. "I am amazed by what I have seen here tonight," he said to the assembled throng. "Living in Des Moines, you hear stories about Dubuque, how that this town is not very supportive of minority people, and that there isn't much to be expected here." Indeed, our city had experienced some rather unpleasant racial strife in the 1980s which actually made the front page of the New York Times; despite the fact that the town's minority population was just about 4 per cent of the total, some folks just couldn't get along. "But what you have done here tonight is very important" Bowman continued. "You have made it your task to correct an historical wrong."
He told me later, "What is even more significant is that you and most of your students are not African-Americans. You made it a responsibility for the students to portray history accurately. The integrity with which you approached this project has been one of the best lessons I have ever seen as an educator, and it was a service and a valuable lesson for all the people of Dubuque."
In one corner of the ballroom, Drew Brashaw once again was being interviewed for another soon-to-be front page article that would run next morning. By now this seasoned veteran of the local lecture circuit could spout Red Tail Project facts and figures in his sleep. "I've been studying these guys for so long, now that I've met them I feel like I've known them all my life," he told the reporter. "It's an experience I'm never going to forget." Almost 900 other folks agreed.
The next thing anyone knew, it was 9:30. We had sold nearly two hundred research books, and the plastic aquariums Sarah Schmerbach brought to handle the free will offering at the doors were filled to overflowing. The raffle tickets for the limited edition art prints were almost sold out. And even after the winners were announced, many people remained just to talk with the students and the Airmen, to get autographs and pose for pictures. Bob Martin chatted with John Owens, who was now living in Cedar Rapids. The two men had grown up next door to each other in Dubuque. A color photo of this reunion accompanied the Tuesday morning newspaper article. It was an unbelievably moving sight.
The next morning, we all rode out to the airport to see the Airmen off. "John, you know what? Lee Archer told me that he would never forget this weekend," crowed J. C. Henry. "To see a part of history, and be a part of history, feels really good." That certainly was the understatement of the year.
A Job Well Done
John Schuck wrote the students to express his appreciation for their research work and the financial contribution to the P-51 restoration. In part he said, "We are still so overwhelmed by your selfless efforts on behalf of the Red Tail Project that our words pale in comparison. Your story, like that of the Tuskegee Airmen themselves, deserves telling and retelling." Speaking on his wife's behalf, John concluded, "To have been included in this magnificent program was one of the most memorable times of our lives."
Benjamin 0. Davis, Jr., was the commanding officer of the 332nd Fighter Group. We made sure he received a copy of the research book and a special video tape with all the local news coverage, plus the segment from Iowa Public Television. Now living in Alexandria, Virginia, General Davis wrote to say, "Your students, in my opinion, did indeed capture the essential traits of the participants in the Tuskegee "Experiment" that made them the greatest flying unit that it has been my privilege to command. Additionally, it gives me much pleasure to see the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen reflected in the determination of the students as they strive to apply what they learned from this research about overcoming obstacles and adversities to bring greater substance and meaning to their own lives. I salute you in bringing this about."
In May, just a few days before Central's graduation, the final installment of the on-going Tuskegee Airmen research project made the newspaper. The students proudly announced that with subsequent sales of their book, plus the contributions generated the night of the seminar, and after $2,300 in expenses were covered, they proudly raised a grand total of $5,252 for The Red Tail Project! A check for that amount soon would be making its way to the Confederate Air Force headquarters in Midland, Texas. And they reminded the reporter that the State of Minnesota would be matching their dollar amount. By now, Drew Brashaw could sense when a reporter was in or near the building, and he managed to get in a few parting comments: "In the beginning, I figured we'd raise a couple hundred bucks. The final revenues shocked me."
In addition, a portion of the proceeds from each book had been earmarked for a Central High School scholarship fund; the amount stood at $450. Airman Bob Martin returned to Dubuque for Central’s Commencement exercises, and presented graduating senior Tony Culpepper with that award. It was a fitting conclusion to an incredible project.
Research Project Post Script
During the lifetime of the class, reportage of the Tuskegee Airmen Research Project made the front page of the Dubuque Telegraph Herald three times, and two of its teen pages. On the front page of the Des Moines Sunday Register ran a major article as well. Students were guests on two local radio talk shows, and various over-the-phone interviews for local news spots. Perry Mason, program director for radio station KAT-FM in Dubuque, was so taken by the students' enthusiasm and energy that he contributed the equivalent of over $3,000 in advertising for the seminar! An avid aviation enthusiast in his own right, Perry told me this figure was commensurate with a major retail advertising campaign. The Tuskegee Project was also featured on three separate television news shows; and state-wide Iowa Public Television. In addition, Central students gave public addresses to members of the local Kiwanis; the Morning and Evening Optimists; the Evening Lions, the Dubuque Eagles' Club; The Sertoma Club; the Dubuque Chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association; Rotary Club; and the Washington Junior High student government. Oh, yes, and they also put on the seminar.
All in all, not too bad a showing for a bunch of at-risk kids who, only several months before, couldn't even spell Tuskegee, let alone tell you anything about the men and women whose determination and courage etched that name into the tablets of history. The legacy of the Airmen now will live on in the lives of the Central students who, after being challenged to accomplish more than they ever dreamed possible, proceeded to achieve the improbable. With the inspirational story of the Tuskegee Airmen as their guide, the students had certainly earned their wings.
Today, the students’ research book continues to be sold at air shows. By the summer of 2001, nearly 1,100 books have been ordered, and the total contribution made by Central students to the Red Tail Project is approaching $8,000. Endorsed by the Commanding Officer of the 332nd Fighter Group, Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., the book can be purchased by contacting the Red Tail Project.
John Adelmann is a transplanted New Yorker who has taught at Central Alternative High School in Dubuque, Iowa, since 1975. Currently, he is a member of the Minneapolis-based Red Tail Project Educational Advisory Board, whose mission is to combine the story of the Tuskegee Airmen with the restoration of the Red Tail P-51 Mustang to inspire students nationwide.
This original story first appeared in Teachers’ Writings: Service at the Heart of Learning, published in 1999 by Expeditionary Learning/ Outward Bound, Inc., Amy Rednick, editor. An abridged version of this account was published in the October, 2000, issue of Social Education, the official journal of the National Council of Social Studies, Michael Simpson, editor.
