Sgt. Amelia Jones, a veteran of the original Tuskegee

Sgt. Amelia Jones, a veteran of the original Tuskegee Airman, receives a standing ovation after receiving a bronze replica of the Congressional Gold Medal at Hospice Savannah, April 19. All in attendance gathered to witness the 95-year-old veteran receive the replica. The actual Congressional Gold Medal is one of the two highest civilian awards in the United States. The replica was presented to her by U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., along with Brig. Gen. James Blackburn and Command Sgt. Maj. Stanley Varner, command team for Task Force Marne, 3rd Infantry Division. The Congressional Gold Medal was awarded to the Tuskegee Airmen as a group in 2007. Before 1940, African Americans were barred from flying for the U.S. military. However, social pressures resulted in the formation of an all African-American squadron based in Tuskegee, Alabama, in 1941. They became known as the Tuskegee Airmen. The Tuskegee Airmen refers to all pilots, navigators, bombardiers, maintenance and support staff, instructors, and all the personnel who kept the planes in the air. The Tuskegee Airmen’s achievements, together with the men and women who supported them, paved the way for full integration of the U.S. military. (U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Richard Wrigley 3rd ID, Public Affairs)