In case you haven’t heard — and it would be difficult because of the coverage of The Daily Record (see here, here, and here) — The Red Tail Squadron/Tuskegee Airmen exhibit officially opens Wednesday at the Wayne County Airport. The exhibit features a movie theater, of sorts, nestled into the trailer of a semi. The sides pull out, providing space for a very wide screen and a crowd of about 30 people on the two sets of metal bleacher seats.
There are two programs, a 15-minute and a 30-minute one. They begin and end the same way, tour manager/team driver Jeanette Hollis said, but the middle is a little different. I had a chance to preview the longer version with Commissioner Sue Smail Tuesday afternoon, thanks to Jeanette and her husband, Terry Hollis, the other tour manager/team driver. The movie, “Rise Above,” teaches people to overcome obstacles and achieve greatness, like the Tuskegee Airmen had to do.
“Rise Above” tells of the discrimination African Americans faced, not only in life, but also in the military during World War II. The thought was blacks could not contribute to the military in a meaningful way, so they were relegated to support roles. A decision made allowed for a small group of trainees in Tuskegee, Ala., to train as aviators. While the airmen did not fly bombers, they did provide escorts to bombers, protecting them from fighter planes en route to their assignment. While at first, the bombers didn’t want the Tuskegee Airmen to fly with them, they proved to be a very successful group. Eventually, the bombers would request the Red Tail Squadron, the group from Tuskegee.
Missions involving the Tuskegee Airmen, whose P-51 Mustangs were marked with a Red Tail, were more successful than other escort groups. The squadron flew with the bombers longer than other groups, which is why the words “By Request” were emblazoned on the P-51 Mustangs. The movie didn’t shy away away from the discrimination blacks faced, but the overall message was to “Rise Above.”
A portion of the movie deals with the discrimination African Americans faced, and another portion focuses on the work and success of the Tuskegee Airmen. The final part of the movie tells the story of restoring a P-51 Mustang and the history of the Red Tail Squadron. The final segment involving the plane takes on a life of its own, one dealing with tragedy and loss. It is, however, a tale of redemption and rising above.
When the movie wrapped up, Jeanette Hollis asked Smail what she thought about the movie. “It’s awesome,” Smail said.
Earlier in the day, there was a mini-parade. Terry and Jeanette Hollis drove the tractor-trailer from the Wayne County fairgrounds to the airport. This trip would have an escort: The State Highway Patrol, the Wayne County Sheriff, the Wooster Police Department, and a lot of motorcyclists from Rolling Thunder. When the motorcade made its way by Cornerstone Elementary School, students lined North Market Street to greet them, waving American flags.
The “Rise Above” movie is an inspiring one. I hope you will consider visiting the event at the Wayne County Airport. It will be there through Sunday, and on Saturday, Col. Harold Brown, one of the Tuskegee Airmen, will be there from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. For all the latest information, check out the Wayne County Airport’s Facebook page here.