ALBION'S TUSKEGEE AIRMEN

The recent release of the move "Red Tails" in area theaters, and the HBO movie "The Tuskegee Airmen" from the 1990s reminds us of the fact that Albion had four servicemen that served as Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. They were: Robert Chandler, Grover Crumsby, Finis Holt and Richard Weatherford. They were part of a group of around 1,000 black soldiers who were trained at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama to become pilots in the U.S. Army Air Corps. There has been research and write-ups about our local men by others in the past.

On February 22, 1998, our local Tuskegee Airmen were recognized at a reception in their honor at Starr Commonwealth. The event was covered by regional television stations, as well as a presentation by Albion Mayor Kim Tunnicliff. A 45-minute video presentation was aired at the event featuring each Albion man sharing their experiences. Briefly, Crumsby flew in Europe, was shot down behind enemy lines, and spent a month getting back to his unit. Chandler was also a pilot. Weatherford was trained as a pilot but saw no action as the War ended upon his graduation. Holt served as a radio technician.

From our Historical Notebook this week we present the Tuskegee Airman memorial bricks on the Veteran's Memorial Stage at Riverside Cemetery. The first brick states "Tuskegee Airmen of Albion WWII." Adjacent to that are bricks for Weatherford, Crumsby, and Holt. The local American Legion still takes orders for new bricks to be added, and the cost is still $50. This stage is a show-piece of our community when you enter town. Does the veteran in your family have a brick there yet? How many of our readers knew our Albion Tuskegee Airmen?

	Frank Passic — Albion Historian An Albion native and 1971 graduate of Albion High School, Frank Passic has been researching and writing Albion history since 1976. He is the creator of the Albion Historical Notebook, with hundreds of articles appearing weekly in the Morning Star and The Recorder. Frank maintains an extensive personal archive including Riverside Cemetery records, family surname files, genealogies, photographs, city directories, and high school yearbooks. Support his 2026 research at the Historic Albion Michigan Facebook page. Historical Notebook \| From the Archives \| Subject List \| 100 Years Ago \| Alphabetical Index \| Frank Passic Home Page \| Albion History Books \| Contact Frank
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