Saturday, February 25, 2012

 
Today!

One of the surviving Tuskegee Airmen of World War II, Claude R. Platte, will speak about his wartime and post-war experiences at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25, at the Betty Warmack Branch Library, 760 Bardin Road, in Grand Prairie. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American aviators in the U.S. armed forces. The story of the Airmen has also recently been produced into the movie “Red Tails,” currently showing in theaters.

Platte served as a primary flight instructor, training more than 300 African-American pilots to solo and fly PT-13’s, PT-17’s and PT-19’s. Assigned to the 301st Fight Squadron, Platte was the first African-American officer to be trained and commissioned in the Air Force Pilot Training Program at Randolph Field AFB, Texas, the “West Point of the Air.” The Dallas Chapter of Tuskegees Inc., a non-profit organization devoted to education and recognition of Tuskegee Airmen, was named in his honor.

For more information, call the Warmack Branch Library at 972-237-5772.

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