East Coast Chapter Celebrates the 81st Anniversary of the Unit

The United States Air Force Memorial will commemorate the 2022 Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day on the 81st Anniversary of the Airmen by holding a wreath-laying ceremony on Thursday, March 24. 

The accomplishments of the Tuskegee unit are recognized on the 4th Thursday of each March. This year, the East Coast Chapter Tuskegee Airmen will celebrate the group as well as acknowledge the national service of Brigadier General Charles McGee and General Colin Powell.

Jerry 'Hawk' Burton, the national president of Tuskegee Airmen Incorporated, said the day of remembrance should come to mind alongside any other calendared holiday in the public's eye. "I believe Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day is as important as many of the nation's holidays and recognition days on the calendar and is essential to the legacy. Like many holidays, the struggle to get Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day on state calendars is dependent on individual states and not the accomplishments of the more than 15,000 Original Tuskegee Airmen." 

The theme of this year's commemoration is "The Legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen Continues: Black Excellence Rising to New Heights". The organizers say it "embodies the spirit of distinction of these noble men and women; and captures how their enduring legacy inspires the next generation of scholars." The Commemoration Day Tribute and Fundraiser will be published online for virtual attendees on March 24th. The fundraising tribute will be hosted by Maureen Bunyan, with special appearances by Smithsonian secretary Lonnie Bunch, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Rear Admiral Arthur Johnson, members of General Colin Powell's and Brigadier General Charles McGee's families, and national Tuskegee Airmen head Jerry Burton.

FMI: www.ECCTAI.org