WW II TUSKEGEE AIRMEN TO VIEW TUSKEGEE ART EXHIBIT AND MURAL IN TERMINALS 1 AND 3 AT LOS ANGELES AIRPORT
(Los Angeles, California – July 21, 2003) Approximately 20 members of the Southern California Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen have accepted an invitation by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) and the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department to personally view the commemorative Tuskegee Art Exhibit and the Tuskegee Airmen's Mural at Los Angeles International Airport's (LAX's) Terminals 1 and 3. The tour is scheduled on Tuesday, July 22 from 11:00 am to 12:00 noon.
The exhibit, located on the Upper/Departure Level beyond passenger security screening in Terminal 1, features artifacts, equipment and photographs depicting the history of the Tuskegee fighter pilots. A 12-foot by 60-foot mural, located on the Lower/Arrival Level in Terminal 3, honors 50 pilots and crewmembers. A wall plaque identifies each of the faces on the mural and includes a brief historical summary.
From 1942 to 1946, 992 African-Americans completed their flight training at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Tuskegee, AL, becoming the first all African-American U.S. Army Air Corps Unit formed during World War II. Nearly 450 of them served overseas as combat pilots in the North African and Mediterranean campaigns. The Tuskegee Airmen have the special distinction of never having lost a single bomber to enemy fighters during the 1,578 missions they conducted throughout World War II. In 1948, President Harry S. Truman announced Executive Order No. 9981, which officially ended racial segregation in the United States military forces, largely due to the contributions of the Tuskegee Airmen to the war effort.
The exhibit and mural were developed as part of year-long commemorations of LAX’s 75th anniversary and the centennial of the first powered flight by Wilbur and Orville Wright.
Under a memorandum of understanding, the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department administers and provides curatorial services for the Art Exhibits Programs at LAX and Ontario International Airport (ONT). LAX currently has art exhibits in Terminals 1, 2 and 3 and the Tom Bradley International Terminal. ONT has both permanent and temporary art exhibits in Terminals 2 and 4. To view or learn more about these exhibits, visit the Public Art Display section on LAX’s website at www.lawa.org.
