TUSKEGEE AIRMEN ART The Real Pilots And Their Stories Fighter Pilots are the elite of the military. They have proven to be the masters of the hottest pieces of machinery in the air and the intelligence to use that machine in a duel with an equally equipped enemy and come out the victor.   These men had been looked down on as inferior and incapable of piloting an airplane. They had to force those in charge to give them the chance to try and when given that chance, they excelled. In the end, the "Tuskegee Airmen" earned the right to carry the esteemed title of "Fighter Pilot."

Stan Stokes   (Artist, biographer, author, historian, lecturer) (Speaking at the Tuskegee program, Palm Springs Air Museum) "It was 1941 and many in America anticipated that we would eventually be in the war. At the time, black Americans were only allowed to serve in menial jobs regardless of their training, education or proven capabilities. Black, educated pilots demanded to be able to serve as such and after political pressure was brought to bear, the Roosevelt administration agreed. These young men wanted to prove to their nation that blacks were equal to whites and took this opportunity to prove it. And prove it they did. Unfortunately after the war ended, upon returning home nothing had changed. Recognition of their accomplishments was a long time coming. It was not until the 1990s that the word, "Tuskegee Airmen" joined the American lexicon. It is our desire to continue this endeavor of bringing recognition to these great Americans and their contributions to our country."

HBO 1995 Tuskegee Airmen Movie and the 2003 Memorial Mural

Bob Williams   (Tuskegee Airman) Captain Bob Williams flew 50 combat missions and later wrote the original manuscript for the award winning 1995 HBO film "The Tuskegee Airmen" with his character portrayed by actor Laurence Fishburne. This project earned three Emmy Awards, a Peabody, a Cable Ace Award and two NAACP Image Awards. Captain Williams flew from Italy with the 100th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group of the 15th Air Force destroying two enemy aircraft between 1944-1945. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with six Oak Leaf Clusters and the Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation.

Memorial Mural In 1998, Bob Williams approached artist, Stan Stokes, with the idea of producing a memorial mural for the Tuskegee Airmen. After some discussion, Stan agreed. This project began in late 2000 and was finished a year later. It was then shipped from the Palm Springs Air Museum where it was produced to Los Angeles International Airport, Northwest Air Terminal where it was on display for nearly a year. Subsequently it was returned to the Palm Springs Air Museum where it is on permanent display. The images on the mural are from WWII photographs of actual Tuskegee Airmen many of which came to view the progress of this marvelous work of art. Unfortunately Bob Williams passed away before the mural was completed. It is the goal of Stan Stokes to continue bringing recognition to the Tuskegee Airmen through paintings, books and lectures.

Rusty Burns addresses the visiting crowd for the annual Tuskegee Memorial Program at the Palm Springs Air Museum.

Rusty Burns   (Tuskegee Airman) Burns received his aviation training at Tuskegee Institute and Air Base where he graduated in 1944 as a single engine pilot making him one of the youngest of the Tuskegee Airmen. He successfully completed his training in September of 1944 and became a member of the 99th Fighter Squadron at Godman's Field in Kentucky. Burns' military career ended in June of 1945 as World War II ended. After buying and rebuilding his own airplane Burns opened Rusty's Flying Service and began giving flight instructions at Compton Airport. He trained over five hundred students before selling his business in 1971 to become an aviation consultant.

CONTACT
Stan Stokes P.O. Box 11420 Palm Desert, CA 92255	Phone: (760) 564-7236 Fax: (760) 564-7491 Email:   Hours: Monday - Friday, 8 am to 5pm PST

For availablility and information on the sizes and prices of Stan's prints, please click on Stokes Collection