Tuskegee Airmen Find Advocates for Their Medals

Mar 28, 03:26 PM

Current Headlines: By Stephen Magagnini, The Sacramento Bee, Calif.

Mar. 28--Their nation forgot them for half a century. And many of the remaining Tuskegee Airmen -- who broke the color line in the skies during World War II -- thought they had been forsaken again because they're too frail or poor to fly to Washington, D.C., to share Thursday in a Congressional Gold Medal.

Still others, like Maj. Larry Brown of Sacramento, are strong enough to go but almost stayed home because they thought they would have to shell out $38 to buy a bronze copy of the medal.

Dennis Mills, first vice president of the 2,500-member Tuskegee Airmen Inc., said Tuesday that Aviation Technology Group Inc., an Englewood, Colo., firm that makes jet fighter trainers, will pay for about 400 of the bronze medals.

The first medals will go to the 300 to 350 airmen and widows expected to attend Thursday's ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda, Mills said. The rest will go to some of those who can't make it.

Congresswoman Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento, said the minute she learned of the medal controversy from The Bee, she promised that all area Tuskegee Airmen and their widows that they will get free bronze medals, even if they can't get to Washington.

"Awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the Tuskegee Airmen is long overdue," Matsui said in statement Tuesday.

"In light of their courageous service to their country, it strikes me as common sense that the least we can do is actually give them the medal, rather than asking them to pay for it," Matsui added.

Those who qualify for a medal can contact Nathan Dietrich, Matsui's deputy district director, at (916) 498-5600.

One area airman who was happy to hear the news was George Porter, who joined the group in 1942 as a mechanic and crew chief. Porter, 85, served with the airmen until 1949.

Porter, who retired as a master sergeant, is battling a host of ailments: "I'm diabetic, I have hypertension, I have prostate cancer treatments, but they tell me my heart is in good shape."

He still teaches students about the Tuskegee Airmen, who escorted more than 200 bombing missions during World War II, rarely lost a bomber, destroyed more than 260 enemy aircraft, sank a destroyer and demolished numerous enemy installations.

"I tell kids, 'Stay in school, get your education. I don't care how prejudiced a person is, if you're educated he'll hire you, and if you're qualified, he'll promote you because it makes him look good,' " he said.

Porter, who gets $700 a month in Social Security plus his military pension, said he decided not to go to Washington "because the government is too damn cheap to pay our way and pay our expenses -- they've been screwing us for over 60 years."

He said he knows several other local Tuskegee Airmen who can't go because of health problems.

Dozens of readers have called or e-mailed The Bee offering help.

Ron Brewington, public relations officer for Tuskegee Airmen Inc., said airlines offered about 40 free tickets that were distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Lisa Daniels, director of the Sacramento-based Unsung Heroes Living History Project, applauded the "long overdue" honor for the airmen.

"They risked their lives all the time to save others," Daniels said. "For them to not have been recognized is a travesty."

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Copyright (c) 2007, The Sacramento Bee, Calif.

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