Pioneers of Flight: The Tuskegee Airmen in Transition

[Burgold]

Lt. Col. Ivan Ware has known war. For thirty-two months, he served in Europe. He’s been bombed at, shot at, and fought back. But his battles didn’t end with Germany’s surrender. Back in Ohio at Lockbourne Air Force Base, he was forced to engage in another important fight as a member of the Tuskegee Airmen.

Some insider stuff... The interview took place at the re-opening of the Pioneers of Flight Exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. Lt. Col. Ware was being honored and I jumped at the chance to meet and talk to one of the Tuskegee Airmen as I have always found their story interesting and heroic on many levels. Besides, how often do you get a chance to speak with one? More importantly, as the days go forward, the chance to learn from them is going to become rarer and rarer, so I thought that archiving some of his thoughts was something that must be done.

Let me know what you think.

Clicking my signature will take you to the radio story.

[Burgold]

I thought that this piece might be particularly interesting giving the thread we recently had on school segregation in NC. Lt. Col. Ware's thoughts about how integrating the Tuskegee Airmen was unpopular with a number of blacks I thought was kind of interesting.