‘Defending us for these freedoms’: Tuskegee Airmen honored in Fort Worth for their courage
A gray fighter bomber with red a nose, tail and wing tips and the words “By Request” painted on its side stands in the front lawn of the Tuskegee Airmen Texas State Veterans Home in Fort Worth.
A crowd of about 80 people gathered Friday underneath the front entrance of the Veterans Home at 2200 Joe B. Rushing Road to listen to Texas Rep. Nicole Collier as the monument for the replica P-51 Mustang was dedicated.
“I like to think the men who flew the P-51 were in pursuit of freedom, in pursuit of liberty, and in pursuit of justice,” Collier said. “For residents who will soon call this place home, the P-51 model is a symbol of freedom, connected to a proud legacy led by the brave and courageous Americans of the Tuskegee Airmen.”
The P-51 Mustang, also known as P-51C, was the fighter bomber used by over 900 Black military pilots and airmen called Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. The red tails on their fighter bomber distinguished them among other squadrons, and the “By Request” was a mantra during the war.
The Texas Veterans Land Board voted to name the state’s 10th veterans home after the Tuskegee Airmen in August 2021. When it opens next spring, the 100,000-square-foot home will provide long-term nursing care for 120 veterans.
The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of more than 900 African-American military pilots and airmen who flew combat aircraft in World War II. They flew more than 1,500 missions in North Africa and Italy.
The group was subjected to discrimination during their time in the Armed Forces, but have since been honored for their legacy and wartime achievements. The airmen were collectively awarded a Congressional Gold Medal in 2007, were inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame in 2008 and were commemorated in the George Lucas film “Red Tails” in 2012.
Fort Worth was home to at least five Tuskegee Airmen, with the city’s last surviving member, Robert T. McDaniel, dying in 2019 at 96.
Texas Veterans Land Board Chairwoman Dawn Buckingham says it is an honor to serve veterans and advertise these facilities where veterans can come and receive care in a military friendly environment for almost no out-of-pocket cost.
“We are the land of the free because of the brave and if it weren’t for their sacrifices, the world would be a very different place,” Buckingham said. “So we always want to honor and take care of our veterans and their families.”
Gordon Guillory and Al Henderson of the DFW chapter for the Tuskegee Airmen Association said the group’s mission is to keep the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen alive through education, presentations and collaborations.
They said the location is perfect as it is adjacent to the Fort Worth VA clinic at 2201 SE Loop 820 and just across from other resources such as Resource Connection Workforce Center, the Aging Disability Resource Center and JPS South Campus Health Center.
They hope once the facility is open people can help veterans through volunteering and spending time with the people who helped paved the way for where we are today.
“They’re on the frontlines defending us for these freedoms, Black or white,” said Guillory, the chapter president. “The main thing is the love and support me and my family do for the veterans is because of them and their families’ sacrifices so I can enjoy these freedoms that I have.”
