A posible Tuskeegee Airmen museum at City Airpot.

[brizee]

http://www.freep.com/article/2012011...-a-better-home

I want McNichols opened back up.

But this is an okay plan too.

[401don]

The last thing the city needs is another museum with lack of funding and too few visitors. Wouldn't it make more sense to have a display at the National Air & Space Museum in Washington and/or the Henry Ford, two museums where millions of visitors, including school children, would learn about these great men?

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

The last thing the city needs is another museum with lack of funding and too few visitors. Wouldn't it make more sense to have a display at the National Air & Space Museum in Washington and/or the Henry Ford, two museums where millions of visitors, including school children, would learn about these great men?

Agreed completely! In addition to being more financially prudent, locating it at The Henry Ford [[or Smithsonian) would definitely lead to many times the number of visitors.

City Airport should be sold to the highest bidder as a private airport, with very liberal rezoning for the surrounding area. Take it off the taxpayer's back, and provide maximum incentive [[short of giving them any cash) to do something there. I think an outfit like Southwest or Jet Blue could turn it into a mini-hub with corporate and private jets using it as well.

[Hamtragedy]

Everyone is encouraged to go see the George Lucas film "Red Tails" this weekend of January 20th.

Lucas funded this movie 100% from his pocket because, sadly, no one in Hollywood was willing to underwrite it. He has interviewed many Tuskegee airmen [[many of them here in Detroit) over the last 20 years. Of the 40 or so people he's been gleaning information, only 7 are left, and most of them have shed tears of gratitude from this long-overdue and accurate portrayal.

The reason to go see it this weekend is because movie distribution is determined in the movie's initial release, the weekend numbers being the most critical. Lucas has to compress as much info down as he could into a 150 minute movie. A prequel and a sequel are in the wings if this movie succeeds.

If you need an even better reason, so many Tuskegee Airmen were from Detroit because of the complete education they received in the trades that they learned in the Detroit Public Schools.

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

I will be seeing it Friday. I hope its great. I love good war movies. If it is good, I will see it a number of times.

Everyone is encouraged to go see the George Lucas film "Red Tails" this weekend of January 20th.

Lucas funded this movie 100% from his pocket because, sadly, no one in Hollywood was willing to underwrite it. He has interviewed many Tuskegee airmen [[many of them here in Detroit) over the last 20 years. Of the 40 or so people he's been gleaning information, only 7 are left, and most of them have shed tears of gratitude from this long-overdue and accurate portrayal.

The reason to go see it this weekend is because movie distribution is determined in the movie's initial release, the weekend numbers being the most critical. Lucas has to compress as much info down as he could into a 150 minute movie. A prequel and a sequel are in the wings if this movie succeeds.

If you need an even better reason, so many Tuskegee Airmen were from Detroit because of the complete education they received in the trades that they learned in the Detroit Public Schools.

[JBMcB]

Lucas funded this movie 100% from his pocket because, sadly, no one in Hollywood was willing to underwrite it.

For three reasons:

1 - His last few movies have been *terrible* The one historical movie he produced, Tucker, took huge liberties with the story.

2 - How many "pro-war" movies have there been out of Hollywood in the last ten years? I won't spoil it for you - none [[Inglorious Basterds was basically complete fiction, and morally ambiguous) It's not exactly "P.C." to glorify war in the current political climate.

3 - Lucasfilm hasn't produced a non- Star Wars or Indiana Jones movie in 18 years.

Also, the director has never directed a movie by himself, having worked mostly in TV, or as an assistant/2nd unit director on a handful of feature length movies.

It may well be a good movie, but none of this inspires confidence in investors.

As for the air museum, were the Tuskegee airmen in any way connected with city airport? If I recall, they were only based out of Selfridge during WWII, and there's already a Tuskegee airmen museum in Alabama somewhere.

[Detroitnerd]

His last few movies have been *terrible*

Do you like the Tuskegee Airmen? Fascinated with people like Coleman Young?

Well, in this movie, you get to see Coleman Young as a little boy!

[iheartthed]

City Airport is the perfect place to put a museum if you want it to be forgotten. Why not give the museum a proper space in the cultural center?

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

Do you like the Tuskegee Airmen? Fascinated with people like Coleman Young?

Well, in this movie, you get to see Coleman Young as a little boy!

As much as I am not a fan of CAY's mayorality, he and his fellow Tuskegee Airmen were true heroes [[as were the millions of others who fought for our country in WWII). They also did something else, besides directly serving: black armed service personnel in WWII helped to launch the civil rights movement, and they helped to prove to their white peers that could shoot, fight, bleed, and die as well as anyone else. Three cheers for the 477th bomber group!

[Detroitnerd]

As much as I am not a fan of CAY's mayorality, he and his fellow Tuskegee Airmen were true heroes [[as were the millions of others who fought for our country in WWII). They also did something else, besides directly serving: black armed service personnel in WWII helped to launch the civil rights movement, and they helped to prove to their white peers that could shoot, fight, bleed, and die as well as anyone else. Three cheers for the 477th bomber group!

I meant to belittle Lucas, not Young. Actually, Young's first term was good, second was OK. He should have thrown in the towel after two.

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

I meant to belittle Lucas, not Young. Actually, Young's first term was good, second was OK. He should have thrown in the towel after two.

I know, I was just giving CAY a few good words. I'll also say, to his credit, that my Mom worked in the City-County Building in the late 70's/early 80's [[she worked for the courts), and the mayor was always very nice to her whenever they would meet. See, I can say nice things about the opposition!

As a Star Wars nerd through and through, I am full of powerful mixed emotions about Mr. Lucas. I do give anyone credit, though, who puts his own money up for his own idea. I hope the movie is great, not some schlock like that Pearl Harbor movie 10 years ago. I don't put it beyond Hollywood to ruin a good, true story.

[JBMcB]

Do you like the Tuskegee Airmen? Fascinated with people like Coleman Young?

Well, in this movie, you get to see Coleman Young as a little boy!

I fully expect to see a teenaged C.A.Y. leap from his wounded Mustang onto the canopy of a Messerschmidt, pull the pilot out and yell "Aloha, motherf*cker!" before throwing him into the Atlantic.

[Detroitnerd]

I fully expect to see a teenaged C.A.Y. leap from his wounded Mustang onto the canopy of a Messerschmidt, pull the pilot out and yell "Aloha, motherf*cker!" before throwing him into the Atlantic.

German: Aiiiieeeee!!!

[[Coleman Young played by Columbus Short...

[leady106]

Wasn't there a local museum/exhibit for the Tuskeegee Airman inside Fort Wayne during the Coleman Young administration?IDoes anyone know if this still exists [[along with a native American exhibit) that I believe where located in one of the officer's housing units?

[brizee]

Wasn't there a local museum/exhibit for the Tuskeegee Airman inside Fort Wayne during the Coleman Young administration?IDoes anyone know if this still exists [[along with a native American exhibit) that I believe where located in one of the officer's housing units?

According to the article, yes there is currently a Tuskeegee Airmen space at Fort Wayne. They're looking to raise $32M to expand to city airport.

[PlymouthRes]

Sometimes this city amazes me. Fort Wayne has been the home of the SECOND of only two museums honoring those who fought with the Tuskegees, the other in Alabama. It has been in existence on the site since the 1960's.

What I don't understand is why there is a continual effort to split things of common interest like this up, and not trying to commonize the experience that you would get from going to visit. Fort Wayne would make a great "Military experience" site, but, during my entire 6 year tenure with the HFWC, we couldn't convince the Tuskegees to attend 1 EVENT that we held [[Not even the WWI Veterans Rememberance!!!). Imagine the additional draw [[and $$$$) that we could have COLLECTIVELY have made, but there never seemed to be any interest from their side.

In a city that barely clings to it's cultural venues [[CHW, DSC, DHS, DIA, etc.) you would think that getting together for a common purpose [[preserving these gentlemen's history, for example) would be easy.

It is anything but in this city, though……

They were, afterall, most feared by Hitler himself, having warned Goering not to engage the "schwartza vogel menchen" [[sp?) as they would be in for the fight of their lives. They deserve more and should get their due, but greater consideration should be taken then has been not to "split" the jewels.

And while they are at it, they could take a minute and move the Grant house from the former State Fair Grounds to the Fort, too. Otherwise, that structure won't be around very much longer either.

Consolidate, consolidate, consolidate……..

[Tig3rzhark]

With all due respect to the Tuskegee Airmen, they are immortalized in a museum already. I think City Airport would be better served as an private airport.

The city has been unable to manage it as an asset, so it should be sold.

If I wanted to picked which assets that Detroit would sell to pay for its debts, that would be one of them.

[gnome]

Good post PlyRes, you always speak the truth.

--

On the subject of Coleman Young; I don't believe he ever saw combat in Europe or the Pacific. Mr. Young was a Navigator/Bombardier in B-25 Bombers. The Bomber groups were never deployed before the ending of the war.

Mr. Young was involved in a sit-in at Freeman Field in Seymore, Indiana. Short history here: http://everything.explained.at/Freeman_Field_Mutiny/

No doubt the Red Tails did great work against the Luftwaffe, however, they achieved those feats without the aid of Mr. Young.

[CLAUDE G]

http://www.freep.com/article/2012011...-a-better-home

I want McNichols opened back up.

But this is an okay plan too.

Yea, I would like to see McNichols opened back up also