Sewickley Tuskegee Airmen Memorial events to be held Sept. 5

Nearly a full day of events will honor Sewickley’s Tuskegee Airmen on Sept. 5.

The Masonic Allegheny Commandery No. 35 is hosting the fifth annual wreath-laying ceremony at the Sewickley Cemetery at 2 p.m., where the Sewickley Tuskegee Airmen Memorial is located. The Pittsburgh Fire Pipe and Drum Corps, The American Legion of Western Pa., The Vietnam Veterans of Western Pa., and many other dignitaries will be in attendance.

“In one of our meetings, six years ago, we said we should look at doing something for the Tuskegee Airmen Memorial. When we went to look at it, we were stunned by the memorial,” said Robert Nichol, eminent commander of Allegheny Commandery #35 - PA Knights Templar.

The same day, The Tull Family Theater is hosting a free screening of WQED production’s “Fly Boys: Western Pennsylvania’s Tuskegee Airmen.” Doors open at 11:30 a.m. To help pay off the remaining debt of more than $90,000 for the Tuskegee Airmen Memorial, a silent auction will be held at the theater from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“This is a day of remembrance, unity, friendship and fellowship. That’s what the day is about,” Nichol said.

Ninety-one memorial banners honoring the Tuskegee Airmen will also be displayed around Sewickley, starting from the Sewickley Community Center and ending at the cemetery.

John Dunn, Keystone Region Veterans Network and Community Service Committee Lead at Comcast, said the event feels long overdue.

“We thought it was smart to join forces and make this a joint event and something we can build on here on out,” Dunn said.

From Sewickley, eight men served as Tuskegee Airmen and from Western Pennsylvania, 90 men served as Tuskegee Airmen, making it the largest contingent from any area to serve in the Tuskegee Airmen, Dunn said. The memorial is also the largest outdoor memorial of its kind.

“If I can bring any notice to them, that’s more or less what I want the people to get out of it. The people recognize what we have,” Dunn said.