Tuskegee Airman Coin: beautiful design and a fitting timely tribute.
nickelsciolist
Posts: 205 ✭✭✭
And here is one with a picture of one of my prized possessions. The coin will never be valuable. The hat might, but I would never sell it:
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Nice! I would never part with the hat either!
One of my challenge coins from that unit.
The coin is cool but the hat is over the top awesome
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Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
I met a Tuskegee airman once in my local grocery story. Amazing individual.
So is that a church key in that challenge coin? If so that’s awesome!
I like that
The Tuskegee Airmen have an amazing story. There is a movie or two and certainly some books if anyone is not familiar with them. It is well worth learning about.
Back in the early 80s, one of my professors who taught the engineering labs was a Tuskegee Airman. Nobody realized the significance. I wish I would have asked him questions and heard his stories. He passed away about 10 years ago
How did you get his autograph? Did you attach the coin or did you buy the hat that way?🤔
I've actually met Alexander Jefferson a couple of times at airshows. He is 99 years old now, and seems younger - he must be living right.
I always really admired them! It’s great to see their story on a coin
I got the autograph from him personally at an airshow here in MN. It was quite a moment for me. My Dad was a WWII Navy flyer, I first learned about these guys from him. As to the hat, I bought it at the show at a booth, then brought it over and asked him to sign it. Wish I'd thought to get a picture.
The quarter is not attached it just jumped up there to get in the picture; just posing with the hat trying to absorb some of the coolness I guess. I found it while roll searching for W's, I threw it back in the roll after the photo shoot.
Here's my Dad's flyers certificate...and because this is supposed to be a coin thread...a couple of coins from his birth year
BTW, love the Beer Opener 3Star!!!
That is a very cool item - hat and autograph - What great men.
@3stars... Where did you get that challenge coin? I have a large collection of challenge coins, and that would fit nicely. Cheers, RickO
Those are great mementos.
I did a little googling last night and apparently there are none of the original class if Tuskegee Airmen still living. There must be a few later members who flew in WWII still around.
I was also reminded that the unit's leader was Gen. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., who was the first black Air Force general (after the war, as it was the Army Air Corps during the war). His father Benjamin O. Davis, Sr., was the first black army general.
I wrote to Jr. many years ago and have some signed mementos from him. Back at that time, though, the Tuskegee Airmen was not yet as celebrated in popular culture, and none of his signed mementos reference it.
Was at Randolph AFB in San Antonio for a DoD program I was in, got a tour of the 99th FTS.
I wish I would have asked him questions and heard his stories
if he was your typical WWII Vet, I doubt he would have had much to say. all the Men who spent time overseas in the two Theatres of War that I have known were pretty tight lipped, that includes my Father. he only had 1-2 stories that he told. my neighbor growing up was in the 101st Airborne and I only learned that when he died a few years ago, and our families were tight.
Yes. My Dad was the same. He once said to me that he knew so many who had who experienced so much more horror that he didn't like telling his own story, it made him feel cheap. When he was older we learned more, especially about the survivors guilt he carried all his life; when he transferred to another unit his old crew went down a short time later and all were lost.