Administered by United States Air Force Academy 2304 Cadet Drive, Suite 351 Colorado Springs Colorado 80840
Located United States Air Force Academy Cadet Honor Court in front of Harmon Hall Colorado Springs Colorado
Date:
Cast 1988. Copyrighted 1988. Dedicated May 6, 1988
Notes:
Save Outdoor Sculpture, Colorado, Colorado Springs survey, 1993.
Gazette Telegraph (Colorado Springs, CO), April 16, 1993, pg. E7.
Image on file.
Shivers 88/X of N/Art Foundry (On front of base:) The Tuskegee Airmen/of/World War II/the rose from adversity/through competence, courage,/commitment, and capacity/to serve America/on silver wings, and to set/a standard/few will transcend.
(On back of base:) "The Tuskegee Experiment"/the original Tuskegee Airman evolved/during World War II at a small Army Airfield near Tuskegee, Alabama in what was/called the "Tuskegee Experiment." The/experiment involved the training of black/pilots and ground support personnel to/form the 99th Pursuit Squadron this/squadron was later joined by the 100th, 301st, and 302nd squadrons forming the/332nd Fighter Group. They courageously/flew combat in the P-40, P-39, P-47, and P-51 aircraft, distinguishing themselves while/flying over 1500 missions, and never losing and/escorted bombers to enemy fighters in/the European Theater of operations. Other/black pilots, navigators, bombardiers and/enlisted crew personnel formed the 477th/Bombardment Group (medium) flying/the North American B-25. At the end of the war/in Europe, elements of the two groups/were joined to form the 477th Composite/Group flying P-47s and B-25s. The Composite/Group was deactivated in May 1946 and the/332nd Fighter Group was reactivated. The/group continued until June 1, 1949, after President Harry S. Truman integrated the/armed forces. signed Founder's mark appears.
The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.
Summary:
A standing figure of a African-American pilot in a World War II flight uniform, including a waist-length jacket, a helmet with goggles pushed up on his forehead and an oxygen mask unhooked from the proper right side and hanging from the proper left side of his helmet. He has a parachute slung over his proper right shoulder which he holds with his proper right hand. He stands with his proper left leg bent and slightly forward and he looks to the proper left. The sculpture rests on a granite base in the shape of a truncated pyramid.
