Posted February 22, 2012
The CAF Red Tail Squadron RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit made a big impact on the community of Salisbury, North Carolina. This event was sponsored by the Rowan County Tourism Development Authority, Livingstone College, and several other groups including the EAA Chapter 1083. This is truly a unique community, as they triumphed over adversity when a major sponsor backed out within a few days of the event. But they did not give up – instead they pulled together and found additional resources to be able to confirm our appearance at the last minute.
This community organized a RISE ABOVE Kick Off Ceremony and invited the mayors and council members, aldermen, and board members of the cities of Spencer, East Spencer and Salisbury, and the Rowan County Commission, along with all the sponsors of the event. Eleanor Qadirah and Vernon Robinson were the driving force in bringing the RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit to this community.
They certainly had great media coverage with WBTV and WSOC-TV. The Salisbury Post also provided additional coverage with several articles talking about the RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit. In addition, numerous web pages included messages about the Traveling Exhibit being in town.
There were many special guests including Tuskegee Airman Terry Bailey and his family, and Fred A. Wilson, son of Tuskegee Airman Fred O. Wilson. Vernon Robinson attended the opening ceremony on Wednesday. Additionally,numerous military organizations attended and were interviewed; mayors and elected officials participated in the activities as well.
Retired Army Flight Officer Terry Bailey said he never expected such a response to his Saturday appearance to shake his hand and share a word with one of the military pilots. A special honor awaited as Bailey entered the exhibit to view the film. Local opera singer Teresa Moore-Mitchell was on hand and performed the National Anthem. Later positioned in front of the exhibit, Bailey signed autographs, shook hands, told stories, and reminisced about his days as one of the original Tuskegee Airman.
Attendance: Estimated to be around 2,702 with 846 entries
Volunteers: Brian Moffitt – North Carolina Transportation Museum employee
For additional pictures from the Salisbury, North Carolina Event please visit
Posted February 20, 2012
Who can say it better than people who have visited the RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit and shared with us their experience? Below are samples of several emails we received from people who visited us last week we where at the N.C. Transportation Museum in Spencer, N.C.and had over 800 visitors!
“I went to the exhibit on Saturday with my nephew who is 15. We were planning to see the George Lucas film and I wanted him to know the real – and reel – stories.
Your exhibit and the folks delivering the presentation were terrific. As we stood in line and waited for the next presentation, I was really amazed at the different types of people and all the ages represented that day.
Education is for a life-time and this exhibit and its message deliver a quality story in a very moving way.
I am a former teacher and now a filmmaker. The editing of the stories and archival images was really nice and using all the stories of both the airmen and Mr. Hines was moving.
Thank you for bringing this to North Carolina. We hope to see ya’ll again.”
best, Kathryn Frye
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“It was so moving and informative. Every school etc should have planned an outing to come see this. Plus the message “YOU CAN DO WHAT EVER YOU WANT!!!” is awe inspiring. As you can tell really enjoyed it.” Peggy Mangold
Our photo album can be viewed online here
We also had great media coverage that you can view at:
WBTV
Salisbury Post
Posted February 17, 2012
The CAF Red Tail Squadron’s 2012 calendar started the season with a trip to Atlanta, GA on February 6th where Delta Air Lines hosted a dinner event honoring the Tuskegee Airmen. The event was held in two hangars that displayed aircraft from Delta’s 70 year history. Our RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit was located in the rear of the hangar adjacent to the 767 “Spirit of Delta” that was donated by company employees. The event celebrated the opening of our RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit in historic Hangar 1 near Delta’s general offices. CAF Red Tail Squadron members included: Brad Lang, Doug Rozendaal, Terry and Jeanette Hollis, Marvona Welsh, LaVone Kay and CAF President Steve Brown.
Here is the link to Delta Air Lines YouTube video from the night of the event.
The guest speakers included former UN Ambassador, Atlanta Mayor and Delta Board member Andrew Young, a representative from Congressman John Lewis’(GA) office, Brad Lang, Col. Charles McGee, Delta COO Steve Gorman, and Scarlett-Pressley Brown, Director of External Affairs and Community Relations. Six original Tuskegee Airmen attended the event. The airmen were: Earl Martin, Charles McGee, Harold Brown, Val Archer, Edward Johnson and Norris Connally. There were over 200 Delta guests in attendance including Elijah Kelly from the Lucas film, “Red Tails”. The event also featured the Ron Clark Academy Choir.
The exhibit arrived on Sunday, Feb. 5th for setup and was filled with a captive audience throughout the week. Many patrons were emotionally moved and thanked our exhibit operators, Terry and Jeanette Hollis for doing a great job. We estimate that several hundred viewed the exhibit.
This is part of Delta’s effort to embrace and share with others diversity and celebrate Black History month. By inspiring others with great stories of American History, Delta has truly taken a great leap forward by showing how it is possible to truly become a global company. The RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit gives us the opportunity to make a difference in many communities.
Our season will be busy this year. Please check our events calendar on http://www.redtail.org/news-and-events/calendar/ and come out and see us ! Until then…
Keep your speed up !
Brad
Posted January 30, 2012
Retired United States Air Force Maj. Joseph Gomer will share the remarkable story of the talented and courageous Tuskegee Airmen, the first African-American squadron of fighter pilots, on Saturday, Feb. 25, 11 a.m.–noon, at the Galaxie Library, 14955 Galaxie Ave., Apple Valley, MN. The Tuskegee Airmen fought the Nazis in the air and on the ground during World War II. Gomer is one of the few surviving Tuskegee Airmen.
Gomer, born in Iowa Falls, Iowa in 1920, dreamed of flying airplanes from the time he was a small boy. He took pilot training as a student at Ellsworth College in Iowa Falls before the war. In July 1942, he enlisted in the Army. The Army took note of his pilot training and sent him to Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama to take part in an experimental program launched by congressional order in March 1941.
Throughout February, Dakota County Library is hosting other programs celebrating Black History Month through the month of February. All of the programs are funded with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
Posted January 25, 2012
LiveAirShowTV interviewed three surviving members of the Tuskegee Airmen at the 2011 Wings Over Houston Air Show. “This was a great honor to ask these American Heroes about their experiences as aviation, and cultural pioneers”, said LiveAirShowTV President Jeff Lee. “They were focused on flying and their missions at the time, but it didn’t take long before they realized that they were changing America.”
LiveAirShowTV has produced a story based on those interviews that tells the history of the program, and what some of these men had to face. It also looks at the new feature film, as well as the Rise Above Program from the Minnesota Wing of the Commemorative Air Force. This exhibit features a film produced by Adam White of Hemlock Films inside a travelling tractor-trailer. Along with the film, a rare P-51 C Model Mustang is on display, accompanied by one of its pilots. Bradford Lang is one of those pilots and he talks about the restoration and his special connection to the Tuskegee Airmen.
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