NOVEMBER 7 - 13, 1984 THE CITIZEN PAGE I E . USKEGEEAIRMEN �UPPORTED a 'E ANOTHE o e eel. The ''1' egee Airmen," the flr t B cJcs trained to fly by the U.S. Army Ai Corps during orld If II, made history comb t flier in Europe and many hay ince gamed pro­ minence s both career mili­ tary men nd as civilians. Archer told the audience that "our entire group at Tu egee excelled - even our finures ere spectacular." The luncheon chairman and master of ceremonies was Stan­ ley S. Scott, Vice President and Director of Corporate Af­ fairs for Philip orris Incor­ porated. oting the luncheon theme, "A Salute To The Blac Pilots of Major Airline ," Scott ugly blot in the history of Black World War II fliers. for id, oday we pay tribute to aviation." The Edge Group, their pioneering efforts. all the Black men and women he said, had "been respon ible "They were before their ho have ever raised their eye for some real gains in this time," orwood said, "it was to the sky and said, "I too will area." not a timely idea in the 1940s fly.'" Founded in 1969 to facili- ·for Blacks to be pilot :' Scott reminded the luncheon t te the ntry of minorities There are at pre nt orne guest, including· 30 current into po tions in both the public 140 Black commercial pilots Blac pilot fi om 14 airlines, and private sectors, Edge is flying today with major Arneri- of the obering realitie of an acronym for much of· the can airlines. The. Organization r cial stereotypes of the time. organization's activities - em- of Black Airline Pilots conducts He told of a Tu egee flyer, ployment, dissemination of in- . ummer training programs in captain, who ob rved an � formation, group development, Tu egee, AL., to instruct enlisted man asking a white economic awarene nd olving youth in the basic of flying and officer if it a "legal" for a problems. Its current President in the development of ac demic Black to be captain. is William H. Blackly Jr., Cor- requirements required to be- The keynote spe er, Robert porate manager, Employee Re- come a pilot. L. Crandall, Pre 'dent and Chief lations, Phibro-Salomon, Inc. During World ar II, the first Operating Officer, American Air- Crandall was presented with class of 13 Blac aviation line , told the group that there the Edges' "Ruth Allen King cadets began training at Tuske- .would "be more opportunities Award," named for the 0 gani- gee in July, 1941. Before the in the airline indu try in the zation's founder, and Archer training at Tu egee was ended future because we need to u received the Edges' Special in 1945, 992 American BIac s the potential of our orker Award." had "earned their wings." to the maximum." Captain William orwood, a In all the Tu kegee Airmen He said that Blac had no pilot of United Airlines and flew 15,553 sorties and com- alway been welcomed as flyers President of the Organization of pleted 1,578· mi ions. Flying and that "r cial prejudice is an Black Airline Pilots, prai ed the as the 332nd Fighter _ g!O�P, ------------------------ .... YORK -' e had high hope for one another" Lee rcher Jr., Vice President of the General Foods Corporation, id recently bout . life as a "Tus­ egee Airm n" more than 40 years ago. ddr ing the 12th Annual Luncheon of The Edge Group Inc., at the e Yor Hilton Hotel, Ar er • P ed on 0 her forward "ilia. e might all cceed n rgued or a becau we . all ryone in the group SALurE TO BLACK PILOTS - Four of the princip in the reeeat Ed Group', 12th Annual lun­ cheon th t honored Black pilot . h major aid' were, from left, Williain H. Bl ely Jr., President of Ed ; Robert L. Crandall, Praident and thief Operatin Ofracer, American Airlin ; Lee Arc Jr., Vice 'dent of GenenI Foods Corp.; and Stanley S. Scott, Vice President d Director of Cor­ porate Aft· , Philip Morris Inc. Crandall aDd Archer m:eivecl award, from Eda, organization th t orks to in opportunities for minorities in the public and private sectors of the us, economy. Archer, a faghter pilot during orId W .0, told how the funed ee Airmen hid p- ported one other during difficult ti . they destroyed 111 enemy air­ craft in the air .and damaged another 25. On the ground they destroyed 150 enemy airplanes and dam ged another 123. Sixty -six of the Amrican flier the German called "Schwartze Vogelrnenschen" or Black Birdmen were killed in combat and another 32 were taken prisoner. The group's 150 decorations included Dis­ tinguished Flying Crosses, Legions of Merit, Silver Star t Purple Heart , the French Croix De Guerre and the Yugosla­ vian Red Star. Some of the Blacks veterans of Tu egee include: Charles 'Chuck" illiams Vice Pre' dent Schenley 0.; Percy Sut­ ton, Chairman, inner citi Broadcasting Corp.; George L Brown, Vice Pre ident, Grum­ man Aero pace Corp. and for­ mer lieutenant Governor 0 Colorado; Jean Esquerre, Cor­ porate Director, Grumm Aerospace Corp. and Charl Dryden, current President Atlanta Ch pter, Tru egee Air­ man. Som other are: Claren Finley, Group Vice President. Burlington Indu tries; Hannib Cox, Jr., an age r rban fair, Eastern Airlines; Elwo Driver, Retired Vice Chairman, ational Transportation Safe Board; Lucius Theus, Reti Major General, USAF an Director Civic Affair�, Allied Corp.; Charles t{;ee, Pre ident, ational Tuskegee Airman, Inc.; Dr. Roscoe Brown, President. Bronx Community College an the first man in history to shoo down jet-powered fighter air- craft; retired Lieut. Gen. Be jamin O. Davis Jr. and the lat Maj. Gen. Daniel "Chapple" Jame . I., •• al k.r c. traininl' Marine Pvt. CHARLES WALKER, son of Robert orma J. Walker of Route 3, . South Haven, MI, has complet recruit training at arine Co Recruit Depot San Diego. A 1984 graduate of Cov High School, Covert, Mich., . joined the arine Corps ay 1984. Summ r r port arine Lance Cpl. PERVUS SU ERS, son of Charles Edna M. Banks of Route 3, South Haven, MI., has report for duty at arine Corps He copter Air Station, Tu tin, C . 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