Hundreds welcome Tuskegee Airmen with 'Path of Honor'
From the time they departed the plane to their trip through the waiting area to their exit outside Montgomery Regional Airport, four Tuskegee Airmen were given a hero’s greeting complete with cheers and handshakes.
The retired airmen — Staff Sgt. Homer Hogues, Flight Officer Robert Tennerson McDaniel, Capt. Claude R. Platte and Lt. Calvin Spann — flew from Dallas to Montgomery on Friday accompanied by friends and family members.
The airmen are returning to Tuskegee for the first time since the 1940s, according to Tuskegee University.
They will visit the Tuskegee Airman National Historic Site at Moton Field.
Their trip is sponsored by the nonprofit organization Wish of a Lifetime and the Dallas chapter of Tuskegee Airmen Inc., according to a news release from Tuskegee University.
Upon their arrival in Montgomery, the men and those who traveled with them were treated to what was labeled a “Path of Honor.” Military members from the area, including a strong showing from those at Maxwell Air Force Base, formed a path throughout the airport for the airmen to travel through. Cadets from Tuskegee University’s Air Force ROTC also were on hand.
The group will be given a private tour of the museum by the National Parks Services this morning and then will take part in a public seminar to share the history and legacy of the airmen. It will take place in the auditorium at Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center at Tuskegee University. The seminar, “An Evening with the Red Tails,” is scheduled for 6 to 7:30 p.m. and is open to the public.
