Events

A Tuskegee Airmen Hero's Journey Home
Memorial Service for 2Lt Fred L. Brewer

After being reported missing for 79 years, the remains of 2Lt Fred L. Brewer have been positively identified and returned to his family. On  Wednesday, December 6th, 2023, he was buried with full military honors at the Salisbury National Cemetary near his hometown of Charlotte, NC. 

 

Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. was asked by the Brewer Family to provide representatives and event support.  Our delegation was led by National President Jerry Burton.

 

2Lt Brewer’s Celebration of Life Service was held at 11:00 AM, at the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, Charlotte, NC, and was officiated by Dr. Clifford A. Jones, Senior Pastor.

 

The Brewer Family has authorized Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. to receive donations on behalf of the Coleman W. Kerry Scholarship Fund. Please click the link below for information on how to donate:

Click here to donate 

 

Biography of 2Lt Fred L. Brewer

2Lt Brewer joined the U.S. Army Air Forces in November 1942 and applied for flight training. He was accepted and then received pilot training at Tuskegee Army Airfield where he graduated in March 1944.  2Lt Brewer was then assigned to the 100th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group, and forward deployed to Ramitelli Air Field, Italy.

On October 29, 1944, he piloted a single-seat P-51C Mustang (tail number 43-25108, nicknamed “Traveling Light”) as one of fifty-seven fighters on a bomber escort mission over enemy targets in Regensburg, Germany. The flight left Ramitelli and split into three groups over the Udine area of Italy to continue on to the target area. However, heavy cloud cover forced nine fighters to return to Ramitelli early, and none of the other fighters could locate their bomber aircraft or the target. Forty-seven fighters eventually returned to base, and 2nd Lt. Brewer was not among them. Reports from other pilots on the mission indicate that 2nd Lt. Brewer had been attempting to climb his aircraft out of the cloud cover but stalled out and fell into a spin. After the war, a body was recovered by U.S. personnel from a civilian cemetery in the area, but the remains could not be identified using techniques available at the time and were interred as an unknown.

In 2011, researchers examined the case of those unknown remains and discovered that an Italian police report indicated they were recovered from a crashed fighter plane on the same day as 2LT Brewer’s disappearance. German wartime records corroborated this information. In June 2022, the remains were disinterred and sent to a Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency laboratory for further study. The totality of evidence allowed a positive identification of the remains as those of 2LT Brewer in August  2023.

2023 NATIONAL CONVENTION and ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Our Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. family would like to thank all of our members, partners, friends, and donors for helping us host a successful 2023 NATIONAL CONVENTION and ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING.

Please take some time to view pictures of our event below.

Also, below you will find a DONATION link that affords the opportunity to financially support our organization’s operations, and youth programs and preserve the legacy of our Documented Original Tuskegee Airmen (DOTAs).

Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.  Therefore, all donations, are considered tax-deductible charitable gifts. Your support for this event is greatly appreciated.

Our Convention Attendees had an amazing experience and look forward to gathering again next year in our Eastern Region

 

If you have pictures to share from this event, please email them to convention@tuskegeeairmen.org

 

 

PLEASE DONATE

Whether or not you were able to attend the convention, there is still time to support ourprograms featured during the convention.  Please click on the button to the right to visit our post-convention donation campaign page.

Please consider making a donation to our organization as part ofour Wings of Pride program. This is a perpetual donation campaign that recognizes the sustained support of our long-term donors. As previously stated, Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.  Therefore, all donations, are considered tax-deductible charitable gifts. Your support for our organization is greatly appreciated.