"Tuskegee Airmen at Advance The Colors!" Topic

Visit by WW II's Tuskegee Airmen to highlight local history convention
by Mike Demana

Members of the Tuskegee Airmen, a unit of African-American fighter pilots famed for their success as World War II bomber escorts, will speak to the public at Advance the Colors 2009 in Springfield, OH, Sept. 25-27. Many of the airmen are long-time Ohio residents, dating back to when the unit was stationed at Lockbourne (now Rickenbacker) Army Air Force Base in Columbus.
Advance the Colors is an annual convention of military history enthusiasts staged by the Great Lakes chapter of the Historical Miniatures Gaming Society (HMGS). HMGS is a non-profit organization devoted to furthering the study of military history. "There's a lot of history to be learned," said Robert L. Peeples, president of the Columbus chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. "You're not going to learn it unless you talk to a Tuskegee Airmen -- a lot of the stuff in books is not true."
The Airmen will talk at approximately 4 pm on Saturday (Sept. 26) of the three day convention, which is held at The Heritage Center of Clark County. Other members of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., a group dedicated to preserving the memory of the Airmen, will be on hand throughout much of the convention selling merchandise and memorabilia. The public is invited to attend the talk for free, as well as observe the activities of the convention itself. Members of HMGS Great Lakes will be hosting refights of famous battles from history using painted miniatures like those found in museum dioramas. Attendees maneuver armies, ships or aircraft on the tabletop -- much as historical commanders did in real life -- in attempt to recreate (or change) the outcome of the historical battles. Beginners are welcome to try their hand at miniature wargaming, as it is called, and can upgrade their badge from Visitor to Attendee for a small charge.
Staff Sgt. Charles P. Feaster remembers what it was like when the war was being fought for real. As ground crew, he recalls the frustration of wondering which of his friends wouldn't return from missions. "You could count the aircraft, but you didn't ever know till after everything landed who wasn't coming back. Your hope was they jumped out and were picked up by Air/Sea rescue, but most of the times that didn't happen."
Convention attendees will get the chance to listen to Tuskegee Airmen reminisce about their time in World War II, and then play a tabletop game based on the duels of fighter aircraft, for example. HMGS members provide all the miniatures and equipment necessary to try out the games, and teach newcomers how to play. Vendors will be on hand for those interested in purchasing their own historical miniatures and game rules. If attendees' tastes run strictly towards history, the Tuskegee Airmen will be selling DVDs featuring recollections and even home movies of their members.
Peeples remembers the discrimination he and other African-American servicemen suffered during World War II, especially upon returning home. "After serving overseas and even dying, we couldn't be served in restaurants or go into a hotel," Peeples said. "They did us wrong," he admitted, but stressed "I was proud to serve my country."
Feaster agreed that it "took courage and sacrifice to be a Tuskegee Airmen." He, Peeples and other members of their organization give talks at air shows, schools and other events for free to keep alive the memory of the Airmen. One of the group's most famous feats is to never have lost an aircraft they were escorting to enemy aircraft, during World War II. They were called "red-tailed angels" by bomber crews, who specifically requested the African-American 332nd Fighter Group and their red-tailed P-51 Mustangs as their fighter escorts.
For more information about Advance the Colors or HMGS Great Lakes, contact Mike Demana, (614) 263-4804, or e-mail: mikedemana@earthlink.net. Or you can find more information about the chapter at its website: hmgsgl.com. For more information about the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., check out their website at tuskegeeairmen.org, or contact one of their officers by e-mail at: tuskegeeairmeninc@yahoo.com. The Heritage Center of Clark County is located in Fountain Square in downtown Springfield. Its mission is preserve and interpret the county's rich history, embodied by its three story, 56,000 square foot brick and stone former market building, which was built in 1890. You can find out more about The Heritage Center at their website, heritagecenter.us.

Very cool!

Advance The Colors is a great little miniatures game convention. I always have a fun time there! And, as an added attraction, the WWI airplane Dawn Patrol Rendezvous is the same weekend at nearby Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. *smile*

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I had the privilege of attending a dinner in their honor many years ago in LA--very humble. Since I grew up on SAC bomber bases in the 1950s, they were legends the WWII vets talked about at BBQs. Anyone who can meet one of them should feel humbled by their grace.

I met one of the airmen briefly in August. He's a personal friend and former neighbor of my family in Missouri. I did take the opportunity to thank him for his service.

The partnership between HMGS-GL and the Heritage Center of Clark County makes this an excellent venue for a convention. We look forward to attending all weekend (this will be our 2nd year at ATC) and plan to run some ACW games.

Hope to see you there!
Larry GettysburgSoldiers.com

Can hardly wait to be there.

I've met several members of the group at WW2 reenactments and other venues--it's great to talk to them one-on-one and hear them describe their experiences.
If you get a chance, chat them up while they're still alive!

Professor Roscoe Brown at NYU (I used to work there) was a Tuskegee airman. He shot down a ME262 jet. He is a very nice guy too.

Wish I could be there. I had the great blessing to meet a few Tuskegee airmen here in Muskegon several years ago at our local airshow. I even had a chance to meet a local doctor, Robert Garrison who flew with them. He's since passed on but I do cherish the chance to meet him and those men. God Bless them all.