To The Members and Friends of
East Coast Chapter Tuskegee Airmen Inc.®

It is an honor and a privilege to be an instrument to herald the rich history of the Tuskegee Airmen, and to ensure that all generations to come benefit from their legacy.

The East Coast Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen Incorporated (ECCTAI) has a special mission in that a large concentration of original Tuskegee Airmen originated from, or eventually settled in, the Washington metropolitan area. Washington, D.C., having a resonant African-American culture, provides an enriching environment to convey the past history, present activities, and future endeavors of a group of individuals who set the standard for military and civilian aviation.

All over the world the Tuskegee Airmen are recognized for their ability to rise above adversity and provide the Allied Forces of World War II with a fighting force, second to none. They engaged what was then the most formidable airpower in the world and never lost a single bomber to enemy fire. When most Americans were fighting for a victory that would send them back home to cheering crowds for their triumphs, those brave individuals were fighting for a double victory! A victory for America to be a free and democratic nation and a second victory for all men to be equal in a land that was said to be emancipated.

Our Speaker’s Bureau, the Youth in Aviation Program (YIAP), Newsletter, Scholarship Awards and the Educational Assistance grants are our current activities to convey to all youth the positive image of aviation as a career choice. This choice may not have been an option without the inspiration of these brave and courageous men and women that made the Tuskegee Airmen experience a reality. Men and women who were not all recognized, because not all of them were able to fly in the cockpit, but all contributed to the maintenance, administration and well being of a group of aviation pioneers.

The road ahead is not always clear, but we must motivate, inspire and stimulate all young Americans to seek and achieve successful careers in the field of aviation and aerospace related endeavors. Our encompassing goals are to ensure that we understand the past struggles of those who were denied their full freedom to exercise their right to participate in the aviation community, and by doing so, ensure that we and our generations to come are not doomed to repeat those injustices!

I look forward to a great year and the continued successes of the ECCTAI. As President, I THANK each and every one of you for your support and the confidence in my leadership of such a significant and vital link to our past, present and future aviation leaders.

I invite everyone who visits this website, to join us in making the East Coast Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., a part of their family history! Everyone is WELCOME to join!

Sincerely, C.D. Smith, President East Coast Chapter Tuskegee Airmen Inc. ®

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