The "study" mural above is shown with the two sections over and under however when completed, the two sections will be side by side creating a total width of sixty feet made up from ten 6' panels.
The picture on the right, dated January 2, 2001, shows artist Stan Stokes painting the first of ten panels of the mural.
Picture above dated April 7, 2001
The original Tuskegee Airmen evolved at a small Army airfield near Tuskegee, Ala., and at Tuskegee Institute, resulting in 992 trained black aviators during World War II.
<--- Recent visit by tuskegee airmen Dr. Robert Higginbotham, Joan Williams (widow of Bob Williams) Stan Stokes, artist and Dr. Bill Duffy.
For every black pilot there were 10 other black civilian, officer and enlisted men and women on ground support duty.
The Tuskegee Airmen exemplified courage, skill and dedication in combat. They flew P-39, P-40, P-47 and P-51 type aircraft in more than 15,000 sorties, completing over 1,500 missions during the war. They never lost an escorted bomber to enemy fighters. These aviators consist of the only escort unit to claim such a record. Sixty-six of these pilots were killed in aerial combat and 32 were shot down and captured as prisoners of war.
Dr. & Mrs. Woodford visit and discover he has been chosen as one of the group to appear on the mural.
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American bomber crews reverently referred to them as "The Black Redtail Angels," because of the identifying red paint on their tail assemblies. Feared and respected by the Germans, the Tuskegee Airmen were known to them as the "Schwartze Vogelmenschen" - Black Birdmen.
Other black pilots, navigators, bombardiers and enlisted crewmembers, trained at Tuskegee, and in Texas and New Mexico, formed the 477th Bomb Group (Medium), flying the North American B-25.
When the war ended, the Tuskegee Airmen returned home with 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, Legions of Merit and the Red Star of Yugoslavia. Elements of the 332nd Fighter Group and 477th Bomb Group joined to form the 477th Composite Group, flying P-47s and B-25s. This group never entered combat because of the surrender of Germany and Japan in 1945. The Tuskegee Airmen also went on to win the first ever top gun competition before being disbanded after the integration of the Air Force.
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 Oliver Goodall inspects his image on the mural.  Rusty Burns, first airman on the mural (upper left corner on the image to the left P47 cockpit). |
Every project has to begin somewhere. Stan Stokes begins the second section of the mural with a few brush strokes on one of the five 12x6 foot panels. Each panel, backed by steel supports, plywood and canvas, weighs 250 pounds.
Tuskegee Airmen Dr. Robert Higginbotham, Al Hudson, Dr. Bill Duffy, Clarence Finley and Bill Terry meet to discuss the Memorial Mural Foundation 5/12/01. Bill Terry appears on the mural above his left shoulder.
Mid May, 2001, Stan began work on Benjamin O. Davis using a picture from his biography. General Davis was a Colonel at the time and commander of the 332nd. Fighter Group. He remained in the military after the war and retired as a four star general.
Progress continues on September 7 with almost four panels completed in the second set.
Dr. Robert Higginbotham's completed image on the bottom of the 4th panel.
Stan puts the finishing touches on a year-long project. This picture dated Nov. 7, 2001. You will note some significant changes from the proposed right panel shown at the top of this page.
Monty Posey inspects his image
February 2, 2001 Officially unveiled the Tuskegee Memorial Mural. One of our larger events was attended by over fifteen of the Airmen along with many members of the Tuskegee Airmen San Diego and Los Angeles chapters and guests.
