Newsletter Edition

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1 Newsletter Edition The Brigadier General Noel F. Parrish Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. We Dare Not Fail... DOTA, L/Col. George Hardy Photo-Op with Julian Walker, BGNFP Youth Member Articles 1 Page BGNFP Officers Kentucky General Assembly... 3 Academic Assistance Program... 4 Class of 2016 HS Awardees... 5 President s Remarks... 6 Limited Edition Baseball Caps... 7 Other BGNFP Special Events... 7 Salute to Ground Support... 8 Gladiator of the Skies... 9 Seventy-Five Years Ago Distinguisged Kentucky DOTAs Kentucky House Resolution # BGNFP Chapter History Uncle Frank Weaver and Rep. Reginald Meeks Lighting the Candle of Remembrance

2 BGNFP Chapter Officers Ron Spriggs, President, is the Executive Director and Cofounder of RSETA, Inc. He s a charter member of BGNFP, an oral historian, keynote speaker and lecturer on Tuskegee Airmen history. Ron retired from IBM after 28 years of service in which he held management and staff positions and later the Director of Business Training for CVC. Ron served eight years in the U.S. Air Force, authored a book, Amazing Management Styles and lobbied the Kentucky General Assembly for the KY I-75 designation of the Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Trail. Charles Walker, Vice President, and Education Co-Chair. Charles is a Heritage Member (son of a Tuskegee Airman) of B/Gen. Noel F. Parrish Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen Lexington, Kentucky. Charles has been with the BGNFP Chapter for six years. He s a retiree from Webasto Roof Systems Lexington Kentucky after ten years in the Quality Dept. and also worked for IBM for 23 years. Charles graduated from Eastern Kentucky Univ. with a Degree in Applied Electronics Technology Patricia Hayden, Treasurer is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and has served six years on the BGNFP Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen Board. She has diversified experience in business, state government, insurance administration and corporate and facilities. Patricia brings a wealth of experience in systems and application management, training facilitation, strategic planning and communications. She spent the majority of her career with IBM & Lexmark. Robert E. Lewis III, Chaplain, was born and raised in Lexington Kentucky. He attended the University of Kentucky, for Business Management. Pastor Lewis is a third generation Pastor/Preacher at Community Christian Church in Lexington. Previous foster Care parent for over seven years. Pastor Lewis is currently employed by TempurSealy Intl. Ali Robinson, Public Relations Officer, as enlisted in the United States Air Force where she attended the Community College of the Air Force. She joined Toyota Engineering and Manufacturing after her Air Force career. Ali has over twenty years of experience in automotive engineering and project management and over ten years of diversified experience as an IT professional. She s on the Aviation Museum of Kentucky Board of Directors and has served on the BGNFP Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen Board for 4 years. Dan Wooten, Education Co-Chair, is a Charter member of BGNFP since He is a retired Marketing Manager for Kentucky Education Television and a former small business owner of Pestige Printing. Dan is a graduate of Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL. and has work experience with NASA and IBM Recording Secretary: VACANT Please consider joining our chapter to provide your skills and experiences. We need and welcome skilled, motivated individuals to assist in the management of our chapter and to chair various committees. Even parents of youths and students can apply. Most positions require just a nominal amount of time. Approximate time: one hour to an hour and a half per month 2

3 2016 Kentucky General Assembly Kentucky House Issues Spriggs an Achievement Award L-to-R: Hon. Russ Meyers, D-Nicholasville, Charles Walker, Hon... George A. Brown, Jr., D-Lexington, Ron Spriggs and John E. Cole III attended the 2016 House of Representatives. March 22, 2016, a proclamation was delivered to the House Chambers, honoring 14 years of work and service to Ron Spriggs, for promoting the history of the Tuskegee Airmen throughout Kentucky. Honoring Tuskegee Airmen s 75th Anniversary at Kentucky Capitol. COMING SOON to the GALT HOUSE Louisville, Kentucky Saturday, OCTOBER 22, 2016 at 7:00PM B.G.N.F.P. Annual Academic Assistance Fundraising Dinner Banquet. Mark Your Calendars Honoring the Tuskegee Airmen s 75th Anniversary, Dinner, Entertainment, Door Prizes, Raffles and Guest Appearances. 3 Before a couple of hundred visitors that filled the gallery of the House of Representatives and a room full of just about all of the Commonwealth s elected officials, Mr. Frank Weaver was escorted in to the House of Representatives chamber. Accompanying him were 6 members of the BGNFP chapter of Tuskegee Airmen. The purpose of this visit was to receive acknowledgment from the Legislative in its 2016 session State s recognition of the Tuskegee Airmen s 75th anniversary. As one of Kentucky s few surviving Tuskegee Airmen, Mr. Weaver, happily received the honors on behalf of the national organization. During the ceremony, Mr. Weaver was introduced by Rep. Meeks of the House, and later by Sen. Thomas Tuskegee Airmen artifacts and the lighting of a Remembrance Unity Candle, by Rep. Meeks and Mr. Weaver. Many officials, staff persons and students came up for the opportunity to shake Mr. Weaver s hand and to have a photoop with him. Gov. Matt Bevin also made an appearance to congratulate Mr. Weaver visit as well. It was a humbling experience for scores of legislators to applaud these gallant Gladiators of the Skies accomplished back during the days of Jim Crow and segregation. The schools can t afford to teach this aspect of American history; it is not a core or STEM topic. The only way the Tuskegee Airmen message and legacy can be sustained is for the lawmakers to provide a modest stipend for those of us - willing to go out and tell the Tuskegee Airmen story. Applause, pats on the back and accolades are great demonstration of a job well done - but their sincerity can also be measured with the financial demands of what it takes to teach our young generation and to remember our vets. We can only pray that these individuals will do the right thing and help to keep the mission going. Kentucky has a rich history in black aviation; It s children and its veterans need to hear these stories.

4 2016 BGNFP Academic Assistance The BGNFP Chapter was chartered in August of 2007 at the Annual Convention that was held in Grapevine Texas. Since that time of 9 years, we have passed out twenty Academic Assistance Awards. In 2014, the chapter took a leap of faith and created its first fund raising event.. Approximately 250 tickets were sold and we showcased DOTAs, Dr. Alex Jefferson and Mr.. Frank Weaver as special guests of honor. When we first started out about six years ago, the chapter was new and had no formalized education program, we just passed the hat amongst our members to try and give away one $500 Award. In three years, two awards went to Black Achievers, one to a BGNFP Student. Later, two students were awarded $500 by RSETA, Inc. and for the Graduating Classes of 2015 and 2016, a total of fifteen awards were give to graduating High-school seniors, who were enrolled in colleges for the following fall. Each student is awarded through direct deposits into their student accounts of $500 from the BGNFP Education Fund The awards are from the fund-raising activities that was started in September of On October 22, 2016, our third fund-raising event will take place at the Galt House in Louisville, KY. Tates Creek and Woodford County High-schools by Dan Wooten Education Co-Chair During April and May there were two Tuskegee Airmen activities I attended. They were both very rewarding. The first was the awarding a $ Academic Scholarship to Mr. Tyrobius Bacon of Tates Creek High School. Tyrobius was a very impressive young man. He s planning to attend Northern Kentucky University in the fall and he plans to major in Manufacturing Engineering. The next day at Tates Creek I visited him again to personally congratulate him on academic achievements. I gave him information about my engineering experience at NASA and IBM along with a photo of one of the Apollo rockets I helped launch. The one thing he was the most proud of was the Tuskegee Airmen cap I gave him. My second trip was to Woodford County High School in Versailles, KY. There I awarded a BGNFP Academic Scholarship to Mr. Brandon Bradley, who plans to attend Western Kentucky University in the fall. Brandon received several other scholarships during the evening. 4 Three from Madison Central HS "Education is the cornerstone for their future..." by Charles Walker, VP BGNFP Education Co-Chair. On May 11, 2016 I had the honor to present B/Gen. Noel F. Parrish Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen Inc. Tuition Assistance Award to Brennan Gilliam and Philip C. Jones, and the Frank D. Walker Tuition Assistance Award to Lauren N. Myre, these are all students of Madison Central High School Richmond, KY. Best Wishes to you, may your path always be bright. DuPont Manual High-school On May 23, 2016 I had the Honor along with DOTA, Frank Weaver, of Louisville, to present a B/Gen. Noel F. Parrish Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen Inc. Tuition Assistance Award to Milan R. Eldridge (below) at DuPont Manual High School Louisville, KY. Best Wishes to you; may your Path always be Bright. Charles M. Walker, VP BGNFP. Bryan Station High-school by Patricia Hayden, BGNFP Treasurer On Monday, May 9, 2016 at the Bryan Station Senior Awards Recognition night, congratulations were extended to Rachel Johnson, graduating Bryan Station senior, with a $ academic assistance award that is the result of a collaboration between the Roots and Heritage Festival and the BGNFP Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. The purpose of this award is to aid Rachel in the pursuit of your efforts to commitment to a higher education.

5 Class of 2016 High School Honorees Recipients of BGNFP Academic Assistance Lily Barnes Morehead State Brandon Bradley Western Kentucky Brennan Gillam Eastern Kentucky Rachael Johnson Transylvania Tyrobius Bacon...Tates Creek HS, Lexington, KY Brandon Bradley...Woodford County HS, Versailles, KY Milan Eldridge...DuPont Manual HS, Louisville, KY Brennan Gilliam...Madison Central HS, Richmond, KY Phillip Jones...Madison Central HS, Richmond, KY S A I C the Cora Tess Spooner, Academic Award: Lily Barnes...Henry Clay HS, Lexington, KY the Roots & Heritage Festival, Academic Award: Rachel Johnson...Bryan Station HS, Lexington, KY the 1/Lt. Frank Doug Walker, Academic Award: Lauren Myre...Madison Central HS, Richmond, KY Phillip Jones Eastern Kentucky Lauren Myre Morehead State 5 Milan Eldridge Princeton Tyrobius Bacon Northern Kentucky

6 President s Remarks The B/Gen Noel Parrish Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen is into its 8th year. We are a small chapter and one of the youngest chapters in the national organization. Our presence has been felt across the country. And while our membership is modestly stable year-to-year at about 45 for 2016, we are in desperate need of working members, not to be just registered members alone. The youths are too young and they make up about 40% of our membership; that means, the remaining 60% must roll up their sleeves and pitch in. I am very pleased with the conference line that our Public Relations Officer, Ms. Ali Robinson has installed. This allows all meetings to be a living function for all of the members to partake in, as well as a convenience for the officers who may not be physically in reach to attend a specific and scheduled meeting. We ve had it going for the past 3 months and it has gone very, very well. So even if you re not an officer of the chapter, we publish the call-in protocol so that all can take part in our monthly scheduled meetings, every 2nd Saturday from 10AM to 11 AM. So no matter where you are in the country - you can be a part and be involved. We have to rely upon the remaining 60% of the adults to help run the organization. Our Executive board is small, but like David against Goliath, we have taken on some monumental tasks over the past eight years. In reflecting back, our very 1st scholarship award was $500; and we passed the hat amongst the executive board members to contribute towards that cause. We have been able to raise the bar and host two very successful fund-raising events, to the extent that we were able to award seven Academic Assistance Awards to graduating HS seniors. I am looking forward to our 3rd year, which will be at the Galt House in Louisville Kentucky. Year to date, we have sponsored 20 HS Graduates with Academic Assistance Awards. Individual grants and corporate matching grants are on the radar for future students. We have some very high expectations with this 3rd event, scheduled for October 22, 2016 at 7:00PM. Plans are already taking shape as the attempt to get prepared for that event. with Mrs. Andre Wilson who is doing a stellar job, as our point person in Louisville. Please mark your calendars; we would like to see each and every one of you there. This is an election year more ways than one. As we all know, the National election will take place in November. We are a nonpartisan organization; however, I do want to encourage everyone of age, to register and vote for the candidates of your choice. The same holds true for the National Tuskegee Airmen Incorporated organization. The convention will be held in Indianapolis Indiana, from July 13 through July 16, At the 45th convention, several significant resolutions will be brought to the floor and the election process will take place to elect the National TAI officers for the years of 2016 through I bring up one final plea to reiterate the fact that we are in dire need for your help in managing and running the chapter. We have several chair and leadership positions that are available. Please consider taking on one of these assignments. I assure you, they are not that involved and only requires your due diligence should you accept an assignment. In closing, I wish to extend a heartfelt thanks to those officers and other volunteers who have generously given of their time, over the past eight years. Until our next publication, Peace and Blessings to you all. Sincerely yours, R.L. (Ron) Spriggs Membership Total: Students: Military Regular DOTAs Heritage I wish to express my appreciation to the following individuals for making personal donations in honoring this year s Academic Assistance Awardees. Cora Tess Spooner Award, (Montclair VA), Past President of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. The Charles Walker Family in honor of their father, the late Lt. Frank Doug Walker Award (DOTA) - with the assistance from Dr. Bill McAtee. The Lexington Roots and Heritage Festival Award and its Chairperson, Kimberly Baird. 6

7 Other BGNFP Special Events Henry Clay Honoree Lily Barnes by Ron Spriggs Lilly Barnes, Henry Clay Class of 2016, beaming as she is presented with a BGNFP Academic Assistance Award. On May 19th, before a crowed auditorium, I was privileged to present to Ms. Lily Barnes of the Henry Clay High School, Class of Ms. Barnes was the recipient of the Cora Tess Spooner Academic Award by the BGNFP Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen. Mrs. Spooner is the Past President of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., the wife of retired USAF Maj. Gen. Richard Spooner and she has Kentucky roots. Tess has been a mentor and supporter of the BGNFP chapter since its inception and believes in supporting our young people in their educational pursuits. Lily will be attending Morehead College in the fall. Uncle Frank Weaver of Louisville, KY receives his brand new Red Blazer as a symbol of his status as a DOTA. Julian Walker, BGNFP Poster kid BGNFP 75th Anniversary P Limited Edition Baseball Caps Our BGNFP Poster kid and Heritage/youth member, Julian Walker met with George E. Hardy, Lt. Col. USAF (Ret.) Documented Original Tuskegee Airman New England Chapter. The two met at the Rise Above traveling exhibit at the Smoky Mountain Air Show, McGhee Tyson National Guard Air Base April 17, 18, 2016 Knoxville, TN. After seeing the movie about the Tuskegee Airmen, he said Wow Grand Father went through THAT. The above picture shows the latest fund-raising attempt for our education fund. Our Vice President, Charles Walker has done a stellar job securing these cap that feature our logo on the starboard side and the 75th Anniversary acknowledgement on the port-side. Cost is $25 for one cap to all current members. Additional caps and non-member purchase is $30; S/H will require an additional $7. We are not a retail function but these limited edition caps will go like hot-cakes. Above cap is in our chapter colors burgundy and gold, but we also have a limited supply in white. We have 48 caps om hand; all sales after 30 caps will go into the BGN- FP Scholarship Fund. 7 The Walkers, Charles, Carolyn and Grandson Julian at the Frankfort, Capitol talking with Gov. Matt Bevin celebrating the 75 Anniversary of Tuskegee Airmen March 22, DOTA Frank Weaver of Louisville, KY was the Guest of Honor.

8 A Salute to Tuskegee Airmen Ground Support Pilots of the 332nd Fighter, the 477th Bomber Groups could not have been as successful in their aerial training and support missions without their respective ground support functions. Because their number were 15X the number of pilots and navigators. Not known for their dash and panache, ground support personnel are sometimes over-looked as having meaningful roles in what the air crews were able to accomplish. During the Independence Day Parade and festivities, The Ron Spriggs Exhibit of Tuskegee Airmen (aka RSETA) unveiled their 1944 WWII Willys Jeep to honor the Tuskegee Airmen ground support units. The featured 72 year old WWII Willys MB Jeep, was acquired in February of 2015 and has been on display at three auto dealership and the Aviation Museum of Kentucky Our credo is, History untold is history lost. Our basic mission is, to sustain the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen. This project, unique in its concept will help to sustain their legacy for many many years to come. The use and operation of our project will be shared with the Aviation Museum of Kentucky. As a curator, RSETA the sponsoring organization has contributed in many meaningful ways towards the WWII history and recognition of the Tuskegee Airmen. The benefactor of this artifact project will be the people of Kentucky and its visitors. It will serve as an historical tribute to the contribution of the Tuskegee Airmen and other WWII veterans. The final project will be installed at the Aviation Museum of Kentucky. Once installed and unveiled, this operational artifact will be an attraction for WWII aficionados, history buffs and Kentucky s Travel and Tourism. In this small way, the Kentucky veterans of WWII and the Tuskegee Airmen will be remembered. (its home base). Hundreds of visitors have appreciated its appearance and installation. The intent of this artifact was to honor all WWII veterans, whose numbers are dwindling daily, with an emphasis on the Tuskegee Airmen in support roles. This particular jeep was retrofitted to reflect an appearance of a jeep typically used by the 332nd, 100th Fighter Squadron. 8

9 Tuskegee Airmen Tuskegee Airmen "Gladiators of the Skies" "Honoring and Remembering Their Legacy" 9

10 DOTAs from Kentucky B.G.N.F.P. Members 1/Lt. Frank Doug Walker P40 Pilot 2013 Lonely Eagle Flt-Off Alvin LaRue, Sr. B25 Bombardier/Nav Lonely Eagle Corp. Frank Weaver Hangar Chief Surviving Documented Original Tuskegee Airmen Sgt. William (Wild Bill) Davis, Mechanic, Louisville/Houston Cpl. Virgil Jewell, Crew-chief, Louisville L/Col. Washington Ross, Pilot, Ashland/Detroit B/Gen. Noel Parrish, Versilles Maj. Julius Calloway, Louisville Capt. Morris Washington, Louisville 1LT Eugene Runyon, Richmond 2Lt. Milton Hall, Owensboro 2Lt. John Sloan, Louisville 2LT. Jose Elfalan. Prospect 2LT Dudley Watson, Frankfort 2LT James McCullen, Frankfort 2LT Roy M. Chappell, Williamsburg LONELY EAGLES (Deceased) 2LT. John Harris, Richmond F/O Thomas Smith, Lebanon F/O Alvin LaRue, Navigator, Louisville Cadet Herbert Glenn, Paducah S/Sgt Marcellus Smith, Louisville Sgt. Harold Alston, Paducah Pfc Bill Cornish, Lexington Pvt. Thomas T.B. Miller, Winchester Seventy-Five Years Ago: Young, Proud and Ready to Serve America entered into the war On December 7, 1941, with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In August of 1941, The Tuskegee Airmen Experiment began with its first class of 13 cadet students, in anticipation of being included in the action. Only five cadets completed their aviation classes in primary and advanced pilot training. This is the 75th year the anniversary of both of these historical events. During the past 75 years, many WWII veterans have gone on to Glory, with just a small percentage surviving. 16 Million served during the Great War. It is estimated that less than 1 million are surviving or less than 5%. Throughout the year, there will be many celebrations and observances of WWII; therefore, it is fitting that we should embrace and participate whenever we can. Twelve Kentucky Cadets completed their training at Tuskegee between 1942 and As commissioned officers, they served with the nd Fighter Group while others served with the 477th Bomber Group. The Bomber Group, while trained and operational, did not see action in WWII due to the unit s stand against military racists and bias treatment that resulted in the documented incident known as the Freeman Field Mutiny. By the time investigations had been completed, it was too late for the Airmen to return to duty because the war with Japan was ending. 101 flight crew members, had been put under house arrest that resulted in a courtmartial of the three ringleaders. It is estimated that there were approximately a 17:1 ratio of ground support to the nearly 1,000 cadets/ pilots from Tuskegee. Today, we celebrate those surviving DOTAs (Documented Original Tuskegee Airmen) who laid it on the line and whose legacy is that they helped to defeat the Axis Powers and helped to defeat racism in the Armed Forces.

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12 Willa Brown, Aviator Col. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. Ground Support Lt. Roscoe Brown and Sgt Smith Brigadier Gen. Noel Parrish Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., became the 52nd Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., was chartered in August of 2007 with the help of a small dedicated group of history buffs and aficionados of Tuskegee Airmen history. General Parrish was born in Versailles, KY in1909; he died in As a pilot, Captain Parrish went on to become the Commandant of Cadet Training at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. While he was one of the few white Tuskegee Airmen associated with the Experiment at Tuskegee, it was his compassion and fairness that made him a highly respected leader with the Tuskegee cadets during their months of training. To this day, many years after his ascent as a Lonely Eagle he is fondly remembered by many Tuskegee Airmen pilots. General Parrish is enshrined in the Aviation Museum of Kentucky s Hall of Fame along with Willa Brown, Major Julius Calloway, USAF-ret., Louisville and Lt/Col., Washington Ross, USAF-ret. of Ashland, Kentucky. We Dare Not Fail... TheBrigadier General Noel F. Parrish Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. The late Dr. Charles A-Train Dryden, L/ Col. USAF-ret., said Parrish was referred to as the Great White Father. The cadet aviation program at Tuskegee was expected to fail, but the then Col. Parrish was determined to make it a success. 992 cadets graduated from Tuskegee as pilots; there was approximately a 17-to-1 ratio of ground support personnel to pilots. It is reasonable to expect that there were nearly 200-ground support personnel from all parts of Kentucky. They were all part of the Tuskegee Airmen experience under the leadership of Colonel Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. Willa B. Brown, a biracial Black/Native- American female was born in Glasgow Kentucky, who later became 12 America s first African American woman to be issued a U.S. Pilot s License. She also went on to receive a license as a certified aviation mechanic. Willa and her husband, Cornelius Coffey successfully operated an aviation school in Chicago and are credited with instructing some 2,000 pilots of which a good number went on to become pilots and instructors in the Tuskegee Airmen Cadet program. has a rich Kentucky history in black aviation where twelve cadets graduated and received their wings. Some were assigned to the 477 th Bomber Group as Bombardiers and Navigators of the twin engine B25 Mitchell. Flight crews and ground support personnel came from all over Kentucky, as far west as Paducah to Williamsburg; to Ashland, Louisville, Frankfort, Richmond and Owensboro. As of 2015, there are 55 Tuskegee Airmen chapters across the U.S. Until 2007 Kentucky never had its own T.A. chapter and there had never been one honoring a non-minority. We felt it was time that both of those conditions were corrected. Our mission is to align itself with the tenets of the National TAI Organization in helping to keep the Tuskegee Airmen history alive and to encourage the youths of today who seek a career in aviation or attend college to meet those goals. Membership is open to the general public, especially students whose annual dues are less than 25% of our normal rate. Most members will be designated as an Associate Airman. There may be some members who have direct blood relations and will be designated a Heritage member. All original Tuskegee Airmen are identified as DOTAs, Documented Original Tuskegee Airmen. We meet monthly and also welcome and need persons who wish to chair or head up various committees. BGNFP Chapter of TAI; P.O.Box Lexington, KY (859) nd TAI Chapter Edition