Grundy County Museum receives print of Tuskegee Airmen

Tuskeege Airmen Litho Print
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General Terry Whitnell (retired), a local Vietnam veteran, recently donated an authenticated 17×25” official lithograph print of the image for the Atlanta chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen. Whitnell, who co-chaired the 1995 convention of the Tuskegee Airmen with the mayor of Atlanta, also provided a copy of the book “The Tuskegee Airmen, The Men Who Changed a Nation.” This book is signed by all the surviving members of the Tuskegee Airmen.

Many people are familiar with the movie version of the book, The Tuskegee Airmen, but may not be familiar with the full story of this highly decorated and celebrated unit of the Army Air Corp totally staffed with African-American service men and women. In addition to flying P-40 and P-51 fighters in North Africa, Italy, and Europe, the unit is said to have racially “Fought for the right to Fight.” The Tuskegee Airmen became known as “The Red Tails” because the tails of their aircraft were painted red for identification. They had the full respect of bomber pilots who were quoted saying, “You don’t have to worry when the “red tails” are around.

This large official print representing the Tuskegee Airmen, and the autographed book, is now displayed in the Military Room of the Museum’s Annex Building. If you want to learn more about this WW-II unit Google “Tuskegee Airmen.”

All the museum’s standing exhibits will also be open for viewing. These exhibits include a Children’s Exhibit, Railroading, Native American, Baker School, Farm Implements, a functioning windmill, the caboose, an outhouse, the Heritage Collection, Vietnam, memorabilia of all America’s wars and this year’s feature exhibit Collections in Grundy County.

In recognition of this year’s 100th anniversary of World War I, the museum is paying tribute to Grundy County’s Company D who fought in WW-I.  A Maxim German machine gun, captured by Company D, and a recently received “Gold Star” flag are displayed. A new display of Korean War stories and memorabilia has been added in the Military Room. Anyone with Korean War memorabilia should contact Bob Chenoweth.

All the museum buildings will open this weekend and Labor Day 2-5p. Admission is $2.00 for adults and children under 12 are free.


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