National Park Service opens Tuskegee Airmen Historic site

Date: October 4, 2008
Contact: Linda Friar, 786-385-0067
Contact: Saudia Muwwakkil, 678-873-7803

WHAT:  America’s first African-American military aviators will be honored next week with the grand opening of the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site in Tuskegee, Alabama. 

Federal and state officials and other dignitaries will pay tribute to the historic achievements and valor of the Tuskegee Airmen at the Grand Opening Ceremony Friday, October 10 at 1:30 pm. Many of the original honorees are expected to attend. The National Park Service and its partners are proud to open this Historic Site commemorating the Airmen who served their country during World War II with distinction, against strong tides of segregation and racial discrimination. The ceremony at the Site’s famed Moton Field will kick off three days of special exhibitions and interpretive programs at the Site, and other events honoring the Tuskegee Airmen throughout the Alabama River Region.

The ceremony at the Tuskegee Airmen site is free and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. There will be limited seating and standing room for the general public. Visitors are encouraged to car-pool, arrive early and bring rain gear in case of inclement weather. Parking is available in and adjacent to the site. Free educational programs telling the story of Moton Field and the Tuskegee Airmen will be available to the public after the ceremony and throughout the weekend.

Hours of operation over the Grand Opening weekend will be Friday 10:30am-6pm, Saturday 8am-6pm, and Sunday 9am-6pm. Additional information on the grand opening celebration can be found on the parks website at nps.gov/tuai.

WHEN:         WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8 - SATURDAY OCTOBER 11
                    MEDIA CENTER OPEN                             8am -5pm
Public Affairs staff from the National Park Service, Tuskegee University, and the State of Alabama will be available through the media center
Media Credentials for event issued at media center                                      

                      THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9
                      DEDICATION CEREMONY                      12:30 pm
City of Tuskegee will dedicate General Noel Parrish Tarmac, General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. Road, and Colonel Herbert E. Carter Terminal at Moton Field             

                    NPS MEDIA PREVIEW                              1pm-5pmMedia access to Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site prior to Grand Opening                    

                      FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10
Grounds Open to Public         10:30 am

                      GRAND OPENING CEREMONY              1:30 pm
Hangar Opens to Public      Roughly 3:00 pm   

Note - All Satellite trucks must be on site by 7am October 10. There is limited space at this site please notify park in advance if sending a satellite truck to support broadcast. 
Contact Saudia Muwwakkil 678-873-7803

WHERE:       Media Preview includes settings at Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site and Tuskegee University.  Preview begins at Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site        1616 Chappie James Avenue, Tuskegee, AL 36083

INTERVIEW OPPS
Tuskegee Airmen
Representative of Tuskegee Airmen Inc.
Catherine Light, Superintendent, Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site
Dr. Benjamin F. Payton, President, Tuskegee University        
Johnny Ford, Mayor, Tuskegee, Alabama
Charles Thomson, President Tuskegee area Chamber of Commerce
Tuskegee University Professors with expertise on the history of the Tuskegee Airmen

VISUALS:
Tuskegee Airmen touring grounds of Moton Field and attending Grand Opening Ceremony
Exterior of restored hangars and related outbuildings
Interior of Hangar 1 with exhibits and historic aircraft
Static outdoor exhibit of historic and contemporary aircraft
Overhead panoramic of Tuskegee Airmen historic Moton Field
Grand Opening Ceremony
at Tuskegee Airmen Nationall Historic Site between Hangars 1 & 2

GRAND OPENING PARTICIPANTS:  
Lynn Scarlett, Deputy Secretary of the Interior, Bob Riley, Governor of Alabama, 
Retired, Lt. General Russell C. Davis, President, Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.
Dr. Benjamin F. Payton, President, Tuskegee University
Johnny Ford, Mayor, Tuskegee, Alabama
David Vela, Southeast Regional Director, National Park Service
Catherine Light, Superintendent, Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site
Golden Voices Choir, Tuskegee University
          - TUAI-