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Tuskegee Airmen film screenings held in Chicago
CHICAGO, January 16, 2012 -- Nearly 1,000 students from Chicago Public Schools, some of whom participated in a 2011 summer program hosted by the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) in partnership with the City of Chicago's Safe Summer Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) initiative, today were treated to a free screening of "Double Victory," a documentary film about the legendary Tuskegee Airmen. The screening followed a red carpet reception and screening of the box office film "Red Tails" held on Sunday, January 15, 2012, at the Kerasotes ShowPlace Icon Theater in Chicago, which was attended by CDA senior staff including Rosemarie S. Andolino, CDA Commissioner; Cortez Carter, CDA Managing Deputy Commissioner, Concessions, and Duane Hayden, Lt. Colonel, Air National Guard, Illinois and Assistant Commissioner, Airside Operations.  | |
(Left to right) Cameron Carter, 2nd Lt., US Air Force; Rosemarie S. Andolino, Commissioner, Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA); Stevie Puentes, 2nd Lt., US Air Force; Kenyatta H. Ruffin, Captain; US Air Force, F-16 pilot and Ken Rapier, President, Chicago "DODO" Chapter, Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.
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"Double V" is a documentary recounting the true experiences and events of the Tuskegee Airmen, who were the first African-American military aviators allowed to fly fighter planes on behalf of the United States. The screening was sponsored by the Chicago "DODO" Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen. The "Double V" showing and reception were one part a multi-event program being held this month to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Airmen and the release of Lucasfilm's "Red Tails," starring Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding Jr, and Academy Award-nominated actor Terrence Howard, opening in theaters on January 20.
In August 2011, nearly 50 students from Chicago's neighborhoods visited the administrative offices of the CDA at O'Hare International Airport where many of the CAPS initiative's activities took place, including the Tuskegee Airmen Youth Aviation Career talk.
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Duane Hayden, Lt. Colonel, Air National Guard, Illinois and Asst. Commissioner, Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA), Airside Operations and Rosemarie S. Andolino, Commissioner, CDA.
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The students spent two days with Assistant Commissioner Hayden and other CDA staff learning about different career paths at the CDA including airport finance, safety, security, engineering, vehicle services, materials testing and quality assurance. The students also experienced, first-hand, operational areas in action by taking a tour of O'Hare's airfield.
"It's great that many of the young people who visited O'Hare last summer and met two of the original Tuskegee Airmen, are able to continue their education about these heroic and historic aviators," said Commissioner Andolino. "We look forward to next summer's partnership with the kids, CAPS and the Chicago Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen." For more information about the Chicago "DODO" Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, please visit http://www.taichicago.org/. For more information about CAPS, click this link. |
