Milford Museum puts on Tuskegee Airmen event for Black History Month

Tuskegee Airmen

The Milford Museum will kick off Black History Month with a program to ensure an important part of war history is remembered.

On Saturday, Feb. 8, at 1 p.m., the museum’s American History Series will celebrate the month with an event dedicated to the Tuskegee Airmen, who were a group of Black military pilots and airmen who served a pivotal role in World War II as part of the United States Army Air Corps.

“They had a major contribution to winning the war, and as time goes by, sometimes different groups get forgotten,” said Tom Summers, the museum’s executive director.

Andre Swygert

The event takes place at the Milford Public Library, and will be presented by Andre Swygert, a Wilmington resident and retired business development professional who had a successful career primarily in the aerospace and defense sectors.

Swygert continues his lifelong passion for aviation by embarking on a second career as an author of non-fiction material on technology, events, and people in the industry, after developing works on a part-time basis for Air & Space Smithsonian magazine and other outlets.

“He will get into different areas of the Tuskegee Airmen, talking about those who stood out, and about the whole unit as a general group,” Summers said. “He’ll be sharing his thoughts and stories about that group.”

He said these lesser-known stories are really important, and cited another program the museum had last year about a women’s group in charge of distributing mail during wartime.

The program will present the history of the Tuskegee Airmen through stories of the pioneering Black aviators, determined politicians, far-sighted educators, professional military personnel, and others involved in the effort to show that African Americans could fly and fight as well as anyone.

Tom Summers of the Milford Museum

“It’s really important that these stories of these groups get remembered because as we get further and further away from the event itself, there’s the tendency sometimes to not remember, and the inability to have the people who make these presentations.”

The stories of selected Tuskegee Airmen will also be presented to recognize individuals particularly associated with the unit’s success during the war and afterwards, and who individually and collectively helped to effect changes in the military and civilian society that reached far beyond their wartime service.

Swygert has maintained an interest in the history of the Tuskegee Airmen since his early teenage years, which has led him to be a long-standing member and historian in the John H. Porter – First State Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.

That organization honors the accomplishments, perpetuates the Tuskegee Airmen’s legacy, and introduces young people to the world of aviation and science.

The monthly programs are offered through a generous grant from the Delaware Heritage Commission.

There are less than 100 seats available for the Feb. 8 event. Register here to reserve a spot.