Delaware's first Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day for students interested in military

Student Joriel Ortiz from Freire Charter School in Wilmington said what he learned about the Tuskegee Airmen at Dover Air Force Base on March 28 was inspiring.

“It was interesting to see what they went through, all the training, and how successful they were,” Ortiz said.

He was one of about 150 high school and college students who attended Delaware’s inaugural Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day Expo. The event was organized by Black Women in Aviation and Legacy Flight Academy and hosted by the 436th Airlift Wing and the U.S. Air Force Historical Black Colleges and Universities Intentional Mentorship Program.

A panel of speakers from the military and state government talked about their experiences with leadership, service and the importance of the Tuskegee Airmen in American history.

Samantha Mitchell, founder and president of Black Women in Aviation, said looking at the auditorium full of students was a bit overwhelming.

“We’re here to inspire you but you are the ones inspiring me, so many young folks who are interested in the military,” she said. “It really does warm my heart.”

In addition to learning the history of the Tuskegee Airmen, students had the chance to ask the speakers questions, stop by Delaware Civil Air Patrol tables with demonstrations of aviation, science and technology, and tour planes and hangars at the base.

By video, Brig. Gen. Devin Pepper, deputy commanding general of the U.S. Space Force, addressed the students and thanked the organizers of the event, “part of a historical moment, a bridge from our past to our future.”

“It heralds the first year of a tradition that promises to grow, fostering a pipeline of talented, diverse individuals who will propel the Air Force and the civil aviation to new heights,” Pepper said.

He recalled how the Tuskegee Airmen “shattered the barriers of segregation … proving that skill, courage and patriotism know no color.”

Col. William McDonald, commander of the 436th Air Wing at Dover Air Force Base, said the success of the Tuskegee Airmen paved the way for diverse leaders in the military.

“We are proud to honor the service of these heroes, who inspired generations of airmen,” McDonald said.

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One of the honored guests who followed in the footsteps of the Tuskegee Airmen was Col. George London, the first Air Force test pilot on the C-17 Globemaster, one of the largest aircraft used at Dover Air Force Base. After flying 58 different aircraft and test piloting two, he was commander of the C-17 Globemaster unit in the early 1990s at Edwards Air Force Base.

Rep. Sherry Dorsey Walker, D-Wilmington, whose great-uncle was a Tuskegee Airman, presented the Delaware House resolution declaring Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day as the fourth Thursday in March.

She recounted the history of the first Black flying unit in the U.S. military. The pilots, crew and support personnel including 13 from Delaware fought in World War II in the U.S. Army Air Corps.

Six Black colleges participated in the program including Delaware State College, now university. The squadron trained at the newly constructed Tuskegee Army Air Field in Tuskegee, Alabama, a few miles away from the Tuskegee Institute.

“They flew 1,578 missions, destroyed 261 enemy aircrafts and received more than 850 medals,” Dorsey Walker said. “That comes from commitment — commitment to your country, commitment to your family and commitment to do what is right and just.”

“Their many successes paved the way for the desegregation of the U.S. military,” according to the House resolution.

The panel of guest speakers at the expo included:

• Gerald Curry, office of the assistant secretary of Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs and director of the Air Force Review Boards Agency.
• Ernestine Epps, command chief warrant officer for the Delaware National Guard, the first woman to reach the rank of chief warrant officer five in Delaware and the state’s first female and first Black command chief warrant officer.
• State Sen. Eric Buckson, R-Camden-Frederica, a retired educator from the Polytech School District.

Curry said he got the chance to talk with many Tuskegee Airmen at their conventions, and their attitude, skill, service and sacrifice influenced future generations in the Air Force.

“Those gentlemen had to commit themselves to excellence,” Curry said. “They knew, ‘We’ve got to get this right.’ They spent many sleepless nights studying until they knew their instrument panel just like they knew their name.”

Epps told her story of living in foster care, then living on her own when she turned 18, trying multiple jobs. She never had dreams of being in the military, but turned to a career in the U.S. Marines because she wanted more stability in her life with one job to focus on, with meals and a place to live provided.

“Never when I was in high school did I think I’d be the first woman [to reach the rank of chief warrant officer five in Delaware],” Epps said. “But the longer I was in [the military] the more opportunities I took advantage of.”

She talked about how the Tuskegee Airmen helped pave the way for people like her.

“They were fighting a war on two fronts, against the enemy overseas and against racism here at home,” Epps said. “They left a legacy of Black excellence at a time when it was hard because of discrimination and the lack of diversity.”

Buckson said Epps is inspiring.

“Her story is why we’re here, to show how you need to persevere against every obstacle,” he said. “When opportunity knocks, you, young folks, need to open the door.”

Scarlet Ordonez from Freire Charter School in Wilmington was one of the students at the expo considering a career in the military. Ordonez was particularly interested in Dover Air Force Base because she’s thinking about working in mortuary science, and the base has the largest mortuary in the Department of Defense.

She appreciated the chance to learn more about the Air Force, along with demonstrations on aviation, science and technology.

“It was a great opportunity to have people guide you through the concepts with the hands-on lessons,” Ordonez said.

And she liked learning history from people who had relatives who were Tuskegee Airmen and from leaders of the Tuskegee Airmen chapters across the country.

“It’s great to be able to hear the information from the people who knew the ones who were actually involved,” Ordonez said.

Reach reporter Ben Mace at rmace@gannett.com.