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Waukesha County Airport to Host RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit to Honor Waukesha Native Alfred Gorham, Wisconsin’s Only Tuskegee Airman

WAUKESHA, WI (August 26, 2019) – The Waukesha County Airport will be honoring Wisconsin’s only Tuskegee Airman, Alfred Gorham, August 29-31 by hosting the RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit from the ’s Red Tail Squadron. The exhibit is an immersive experience designed to educate audiences about the extraordinary history and legacy of the , America’s first black military pilots who served valiantly during WWII protecting U.S. bombers from attack by the Germans.

“We are excited to honor Waukesha’s own Tuskegee Airman and his amazing story of brave service to our country during World War II with this unique event that is free to attend and promises to leave all visitors with an inspiring message that anything is possible with hard work and dedication,” said Waukesha County Airport Director Kurt Stanich.

The RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit features a 160-degree panoramic screen showing an original 15- minute film that takes viewers on a trip through time, then through the air in a P-51C Mustang. The airport will also have WWII-era aircraft on display near the exhibit to provide visitors with an up-close look at the types of aircraft that Gorham and flew. The exhibit at the Waukesha County Airport, 2525 Aviation Drive in Waukesha, is FREE to attend and will be open to the public: • Thursday, August 29: 10 am – 7 pm • Friday, August 30: 10 am – 7 pm • Saturday, August 31: 10 am – 4pm

Second Lieutenant Alfred Gorham enlisted in the Army in 1942 and was the only Wisconsin serviceman to join the Tuskegee program. In 1945, while flying over Munich, Germany, his P-51 Mustang suffered mechanical failure and he was captured and held as a POW in Germany until the end of WWII. He received the Purple Heart, Congressional Gold Medal and POW Medal.

Gorham and his family lived on Hine Avenue in Waukesha and he graduated from Waukesha High School in 1938. He returned to Waukesha after the war, working in the chemistry lab at A.C. Spark Plug in Oak Creek. He died in 2009 and is interred at Arlington National Cemetery. Members of the Gorham family will be in attendance at the opening of the RISE ABOVE event on Thursday, August 29 from 10am – 12 pm. Event sponsors include: Fabick CAT, Atlantic Aviation, Stein's Aircraft Services, Ewald Automotive Group, Plane Safe Aircraft Maintenance, Paul Keppeler, Marshall Auto Body, Skycom Avionics, Lindner Logistics and M&M Restoration.

About Waukesha County Airport/Crites Field Waukesha County Airport is a full-service, Nationally Designated airport open 24/7 and located conveniently just 20 minutes from Milwaukee, in the heart of one of Wisconsin’s fastest growing communities. More than 70 businesses regularly use the airport for corporate travel, either on their own aircraft or via charter and other air transport services. Nearly half of the airport’s 200 aircraft owners use their airplanes for both business and recreational purposes. The airport features runways long enough for nearly all corporate aircraft and an approach lighting system and instrument landing system that enables aircraft to land in inclement weather. Airport-based businesses provide aircraft and avionics maintenance services, flight training, charter and various other services to support the needs of the aviation community. The Waukesha County Airport provides nearly 1,000 jobs resulting in more than $24 million in wages and payroll, and is credited with providing nearly $81 million in sales for the organizations that use it for aviation, and the companies that provide goods and services to them. Learn more at: https://www.waukeshacounty.gov/airport

About the CAF Red Tail Squadron The CAF Red Tail Squadron is committed to telling the inspirational story of the Tuskegee Airmen, America’s first black military pilots and their support personnel. RISE ABOVE: Red Tail, their three-fold outreach program, includes an airworthy P-51C Mustang and the RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit mobile theater. These two exciting and entertaining vehicles tour the country year-round with stops at airshows, schools, museums and community events. In addition, the group curates and provides extensive educational resources for students, teachers, youth leaders and anyone looking to learn more and be inspired by these remarkable American trailblazers. The CAF Red Tail Squadron is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization part of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF), a non-military group that restores and flies combat aircraft to remember the lessons learned from the defining moments in American military aviation history. Learn more at redtail.org.

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