Two of the original Tuskegee Airmen (Colonel Charles McGee (ret.) and Lt. Colonel Leo Gray (ret.)) will be honored guests at the 40th Annual Dinner and Auction benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County, Florida. This event on January 13th is Broward County's longest established fund-raiser and is well attended by the community's "Who's Who". The evening which features dinner, dancing and the area's largest silent auction for charity auction will be held at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Fort Lauderdale.

The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs is to assure and to enhance the quality of life for children as participating members of a diverse urban society and to improve their lives by building self-esteem and developing values and skills during their critical periods of growth. These are goals that the Tuskegee Airmen can relate to.

The Tuskegee Airmen were among the nearly 1,000 young black men who fought both racial prejudice and the German Luftwaffe in the famed 332nd fighter group, known for the distinctive “Red Tails” on the aircraft they flew so proudly. Their remarkable story of vision, hope, hard work and discipline proved that individuals can accomplish the remarkable, regardless the obstacles, and remains as relevant today as it was sixty years ago.

Colonel Charles McGee (ret.) holds the distinguished record of more three-war (WWII< Korea and Vietnam) fighter missions than any other Air Force aviator – 409 missions with over 6100 total hours as a command pilot. During his career McGee received numerous awards including the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross with two clusters, Bronze Star, Air Medal with 25 clusters, Army and Air Force Commendation Medals,, Korean Presidential Unit Citation, the Hellenic Republic WWII Commemorative Medal and the French Legion of Honor.

Lt. Colonel Leo Gray (ret.) flew 15 combat missions over Europe in P-51 Mustangs and logged 750 hours flying time. During his 41 years of military service, Gray was awarded the Air Medal with one oak leaf cluster, a Presidential Unit Citation, and the Mediterranean Theatre of Operation ribbon with three battle stars. In addition, he earned the American Theatre and World War II Victory button.

During the auction, attendees will be able to bid on an once-in-a-lifetime auction package reflecting the Tuskegee Airmen’s legacy. Donated by the Red Tail Project, the package includes: a private dinner with an original Tuskegee Airman in the privacy of the successful bidder’s home, two 30 minutes rides in an original P51-D WWII Mustang named the “Red Nose”, which is owned by the Commemorative Air Force, (includes two commercial airplane tickets from Fort Lauderdale to Atlanta on Spirit Airlines) and a Limited Edition Red Tail Signature print with over 60 signatures of Original Tuskegee Airmen.
                                               
The RedTail Projectis a non-profit organization whose mission is to tell the inspiring story of America’s first black fighter pilots, the Tuskegee Airmen. How these individuals overcame adversity and fought for victory at home and abroad during World War II is an important chapter in our nation’s history. The Red Tail Project is a part of the CAF, whose goal is to recognize the sacrifices and contributions of our veterans by preserving the military aviation heritage of WWII and beyond.

For more information on the Red Tail Project, visit www.redtail.org or call 1.877.522.2988.
###