Tuskegee Airmen visit legendary Moton Field

September 16, 2012

Four DOTAs from Dallas, Texas, recently got a wish fulfilled when they returmed to Moton Field in Tuskegee, AL, on September 15, 2012. Lt. Calvin J. "TJ" Spann, Capt. Claude Platte, Staff Sgt. Homer Hogues, and Flight Officer Robert T. McDaniel received the royal treatment by the Jeremy Bloom Wish of A Lifetime Foundation (JBWOL) as they traveled back in time to where their military training began, their first visit there since WWII ended. Lt. Spann, a P-47 pilot and member of the 100th Fighter Squadron, flew 26 combat missions before completing his tour in Italy.

As a primary flight instructor, Capt. Platte trained over 300 pilots and was the first Black officer trained and commissioned in the Air Force Pilot Training Program at Randolph Air Force Base. SSgt Hogues, a mechanic, earned airplane and engine mechanics military badges and was invited to participate in President Harry S. Truman's inaugural parade.

A member of the 447th Bombardment Group, Flt Ofcr McDaniel was also involved in "The Freeman Field Officer Club Incident" that eventually led to integration of all officer's clubs and other military facilities. JBWOL was established in 2008 by two-time Olympic Skier, former NFL football player and Colorado native Jeremy Bloom in living honor of his grandmother, Donna Wheeler. Bloom left competitive sports to launch the foundation and initiate cultural change by enriching the lives of seniors.