Richmond’s seven Tuskegee Airmen who served during World War II are to be recognized with a specific interpretive marker at the Richmond location of the Madison County Public Library. The marker will be located outside of the building near a mural that was painted by Graham Allen of First Lieutenant Frank D. Walker.
A special unveiling and dedication of the marker will be on Tuskegee Airmen Day, Thursday, March 23, 2023, beginning at 3:30 PM. The ceremony will be held at the Richmond location of the Madison County Public Library located at 507 West Main Street in Richmond.
There will be a reception following the ceremony and will lead into a screening of the film Red Tails (PG13, 2h 5m) at 5:30 PM.
The seven members of the Tuskegee Airmen from Richmond were First Lt. Frank Walker, Tech. Sgt. Donald Dillingham, Private First Class Robert Ferrell, Sgt. John S. Harris, Private First Class Carolyn Runyon, First Lt. Eugene Runyon and First Lt. William Walker. Carolyn (trained as a nurse) and Eugene Runyon were brother and sister, and Carolyn went on to marry fellow Tuskegee Airman Robert Ferrell. Frank Walker and William Walker were also siblings.
Although all of those being honored with this marker have passed on, hopes are to have several of their descendants attend the service.
Formed in March 1942, the Tuskegee Airmen were the United States first black military airmen unit. Assigned mostly in Europe, there were nearly 15,000 Tuskegee airmen, and of that number 992 served as pilots. The rest served in support roles, including mechanics, instructors, bombardiers, navigators, and many other vital duties.
Known primarily for escorting Allied bombers to targets in Germany, Tuskegee Airmen pilots flew mainly P-40 Warhawks, P-47 Thunderbolts and P-51 Mustangs fighter planes. Many of these aircraft had their vertical stabilizer and rudder painted bright red, thus the Tuskegee Airmen became known as “Red Tails”. Some airmen were trained to serve on B-25 Mitchell bombers, but this unit never saw combat due to the ending of the war in Europe.
The airmen flew 1,578 missions, with 66 airmen killed in combat. In addition to their bomber escort duties, they destroyed dozens of Axis aircraft both in the air and on the ground, as well as recking havoc on the enemy’s logistical, transportation and support systems.
With the desegregation of the United States military in 1948, the Tuskegee Airmen ceased to exist as an individual entity.
