By TAI Communications Team
The 2024 National Convention and Annual Business Meeting of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. (TAI) will be more than just a membership reunion, its organizers emphasized.
“We come together annually to celebrate the courage, resilience and legacy of the pioneering Tuskegee Airmen, but we must also focus on the future,” said Convention Planning Committee Chair MaryAnne Drummond, who is also the National Parliamentarian for TAI. “That’s why we have selected the convention theme ‘Preserving Our History, Building Our Future.’ It’s a salute to our trailblazers, while acknowledging that we must continue building a pipeline of future aviation and aerospace professionals.”
Drummond’s father was an original Tuskegee Airman. As such, she is considered a “heritage” family member, one of many groups of about 200 regulars to include active-duty service members, military veterans, as well as defense and aviation industry officials who make an annual pilgrimage to the convention.
They gather to pay homage to the achievements of the nearly 19,000 World War II-era original Tuskegee Airmen. This year’s Convention event will be held Aug. 15-17 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport in Virginia. Preliminary events will be held Aug 12-14.
Drummond offered four compelling reasons to attend the 2024 convention:
1.EDUCATIONAL EMPOWERMENT. Did you know that in addition to the national TAI, Inc. based in Tuskegee, Alabama, there are more than 50 Tuskegee Airmen chapters around the nation and the U.S. Virgin Islands? The convention will be an opportunity to educate members on a range of topics, to include TAI policies, nonprofit financial management, how to recruit and sustain members, management of youth educational programs; best practices of chapter leadership; and how to develop strategic partnerships.
2. RECONNECT AND RECHARGE. The convention is a hub for reconnecting and recharging, with touch points on Heritage Day on Aug. 15, Military Day on Aug. 16, and Youth Day on Aug. 17. These specially themed days are opportunities to build community, collaborate and honor the legacy of the airmen. Further, for those who never miss a tee time, the annual Gen. Benjamin O. Davis Jr. Golf Classic is another occasion for renewal. Scheduled Aug. 12 and hosted by the East Coast Chapter Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. (ECCTAI), the golf classic is a fundraiser for the organization’s youth aviation programs. With the Washington, D.C., area being home to numerous military bases and organizations, it’s important to register early, since a larger-than-normal crowd is expected.
3. MEET AN ORIGINAL TUSKEGEE AIRMEN. The TAI convention is the most likely place to meet some of the few remaining Documented Original Tuskegee Airmen. Two retired Lt. Col. Shelton "Ivan" Ware and Yale graduate Lt. Col. "Woody" Woodhouse II are expected to attend, while two others will participate virtually. TAI will honor Ware, a 101-year-old Maryland resident, with its Hall of Fame Award. Convention-goers may have the chance to interact with them at events, such as book signings and panel discussions.
4. INVEST IN TOMORROW’S AVIATION & AEROSPACE PROFESSIONALS. With the majority of original Tuskegee Airmen now in the Lonely Eagles Chapter of deceased service members, Drummond said promoting, preserving and protecting the legacy of the airmen are TAI priorities.
“We are encouraging corporations and individuals to attend the convention,” Drummond said. “Their financial donations will help sustain our youth programs and initiatives.”
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