Orlando Area Attraction News

Tuskegee Airmen Exhibit on Display at Orlando International Airport Through April 21, 2025

Hi everyone!

A Tuskegee Airmen exhibit is on display at Orlando International Airport through April 21st, 2025. The exhibit is called “Florida Celebrates the Tuskegee Airmen, the First African-American Military Pilots” and is located at the Community Exhibition Gallery area on Level 3 of Terminal A, celebrating both Black History Month and Florida’s Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day.

Central Florida veterans are featured in the exhibit.

Read below for more information in the press release.

Tuskegee airmen at the Ramitelli air base. (Photographer Toni Frissell)
Tuskegee airmen at the Ramitelli air base. (Photographer Toni Frissell)

ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando International Airport is honoring the contributions and sacrifices of the nation’s first African-American military pilots in a new community exhibit.

This exhibition celebrates Black History Month and the state of Florida’s inaugural Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day. In 2024, Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law an annual holiday commemorating the sacrifices of the Tuskegee Airmen to be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of March.

Florida played a pivotal role in the effort to train nearly 1,000 pilots and nearly 14,000 navigators, bombardiers, instructors, mechanics, control tower operators, and other support staff as part of the “Tuskegee Experience.” With training fields throughout Florida, the group of primarily African-American airmen flew 1,578 missions during two years of World War II. Despite their distinguished achievements and valor, the Tuskegee Airmen faced discrimination and were subjected to segregation.

“Honoring the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen through this exhibition is a meaningful way to celebrate and recognize the contributions of these pioneering pilots,” said Kevin J. Thibault, CEO of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA). “By showcasing their remarkable story, we hope to not only educate and inspire travelers, but also enrich their journey with a deeper appreciation of how the Tuskegee Airmen made history.”

At least four Tuskegee Airmen called Central Florida home, including:

Chief Master Sergeant Richard C. Hall, Jr. (1923 – 2021) Winter Park
Lt. Daniel K. Keel, Jr. (1922 – Present) Clermont
Lt. Col. Robert C. Hughes (1924 – 2022) Brevard County
Lt. Raymond Cassagnol (1920 – 2023) Seminole County

Hall was an aircraft mechanic in the 99th Fighter Pursuit Squadron, served 30 years in the military, and was one of the first African-American Chief Master Sergeants. Hall was the founder and president of the Central Florida chapter of Tuskegee Airmen Inc., in Winter Park, where he worked tirelessly to promote awareness for the contributions of African-American pilots within the broader narrative of American military history.

The exhibition includes a gallery of images by photographer Toni Frissell, which may be the only photos taken of the airmen in Europe by a professional photographer.

“Florida Celebrates the Tuskegee Airmen, the First African-American Military Pilots” is on display through April 21, 2025, in the Community Exhibition Gallery area on Level 3 of Terminal A. The State of Florida’s Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day is Thursday, March 28, 2025.

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