Figures, Alabama delegation push to build Tuskegee Airmen memorial in DC

WASHINGTON — Alabama’s entire House delegation supports a bill to establish a memorial in the nation’s capital honoring the Tuskegee Airmen.

U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures introduced the Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Act on Wednesday to authorize the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to promoting the legacy of the first Black pilots in the U.S. military, to build a commemorative work about the fighter pilots on federal land.

The pilots and support crews who trained at Tuskegee Army Airfield broke racial barriers with their service. The Tuskegee Airmen, known as the “Red Tails” were the nation’s first Black military pilots who served in a segregated WWII unit. Their all-Black 332nd Fighter Group had one of the lowest loss records of all the bomber escorts in the war.

“While facing horrific discrimination at home, these men risked their lives to defend rights and freedoms abroad,” Figures, D-Mobile, said in a statement. “Their courage, skill, and unwavering dedication not only contributed to the Allied victory but also helped pave the way for the desegregation of the U.S. military.”

The memorial will honor those contributions to the United States, the congressman added.

All of Alabama’s bipartisan House members are cosponsors of the legislation.

“As we see the final generation of our original members passing, establishing a permanent landmark in Washington, D.C., ensures that their monumental contributions to military integration, excellence, and civil rights will never be forgotten by future generations,” Angela Holmes with Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., said.

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The youngest fighter pilot of the Tuskegee Airmen, Lt. Col. George Hardy, died last year at the age of 100.

The bill prevents any federal funds from being used for the memorial. All money for the monument would come from Tuskegee Airmen Inc.

The memorial would showcase the profound impact of the flight pilots and serve as an educational resource for Americans to learn about the Tuskegee Airmen’s service and sacrifice.

Figures has also introduced legislation renaming an Alabama post office after the Tuskegee Airmen.

At the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second term, the Tuskegee Airmen were in the news when the Air Force removed training videos about the pilots from its curriculum to comply with the president’s executive order prohibiting diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the federal government. After intense backlash, including from Alabama’s delegation, the move was reversed.

Read more at aldailynews.com.