Waukesha Co. Airport hosting RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit to honor Wisconsin’s only Tuskegee Airman
WAUKESHA COUNTY -- The Waukesha County Airport is honoring Wisconsin’s only Tuskegee Airman, Alfred Gorham, August 29-31 by hosting the RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit from the Commemorative Air Force’s Red Tail Squadron.
The exhibit is an immersive experience designed to educate audiences about the extraordinary history and legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, America’s first black military pilots who served valiantly during WWII protecting U.S. bombers from attack by the Germans.
“We are excited to honor Waukesha’s own Tuskegee Airman and his amazing story of brave service to our country during World War II with this unique event that is free to attend and promises to leave all visitors with an inspiring message that anything is possible with hard work and dedication,” said Waukesha County Airport Director Kurt Stanich.
The RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit features a 160-degree panoramic screen showing an original 15-minute film that takes viewers on a trip through time, then through the air in a P-51C Mustang. The airport will also have two P-51 Mustangs on display near the exhibit to provide visitors with an up-close look at the aircraft that Gorham and the Tuskegee Airmen flew.
The exhibit at the Waukesha County Airport, 2525 Aviation Drive in Waukesha, is FREE to attend and will be open to the public:
Second Lieutenant Alfred Gorham enlisted in the Army in 1942 and was the only Wisconsin serviceman to join the Tuskegee program. In 1945, while flying over Munich, Germany, his P-51 Mustang suffered mechanical failure and he was captured and held as a POW in Germany until the end of WWII. He received the Purple Heart, Congressional Gold Medal and POW Medal.