Most notibly known for their name, The Tuskegee Airmen, and not the fact they were the only Army Air Force group not to lose an escorted Allied bomber to an enemy aircraft attack.

Dressed in the traditional red blazer that signifies he's a Tuskegee Airman, Robert Griffin could hardly contain his excitement.

"I'm just so honored," Griffin said Wednesday, moments before Florida Tech paid tribute to the group by naming a street after them. "Recognition of the Tuskegee Airmen has really been late in coming, but it's welcomed and it shows how much our country has grown."

Tuskegee Airmen Way is about a half-mile-long road leading up to Florida Tech's Emil Buehler Center for Aviation Training and Research at Melbourne International Airport.

About 15 Tuskegee Airmen, the U.S. contingent of black combat pilots during World War II, attended Wednesday's event. Four original members, including 80-year-old Griffin, were there.

"This country owes so much to all of you and your legacy," said Florida Tech President Anthony Catanese. "This is our simple way of saying to the Tuskegee Airmen and women, this is your way."

About 100 people, including Brevard Public Schools Superintendent Brian Binggeli and School Board member and Florida Tech grad Andy Ziegler, attended the ceremony.

In addition to honoring the Tuskegee Airmen, Rev. Harvey Riley of Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in Palm Bay was given the Julius Montgomery Pioneer Award. The honor is given annually by Florida Tech to a Brevard County resident who has made an impact on society.

The award's namesake was one of Florida Tech's first black students.

The event was held in conjunction with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which is Monday.

Jamarus Brooks, a Florida Tech senior and president of the school's Society of Black Engineers, spoke about King's influence on him.

"Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. paved a smooth, frictionless path to my success," Brooks said. "His words of inspiration will forever live in me, you and our children."

 

Source:  Florida Today