Tuskegee Airmen Host 25th Annual Tuition Assistance Awards Dinner

By Jennifer L. Warren

MONTGOMERY – Quinston Leather’s life changed forever in that one moment. Here he was, all alone, soaring thousands of feet above the ground, commanding the controls, while confidently guiding an airplane the summer before his senior year of high school.

“It was an eye-opener, a new chapter of my life that truly showed me I can do anything I put my mind to,” reflected Leathers six months after that inaugural solo flight in August, 2022. “In a field mainly dominated by the white men, it really showed me that it is now something really within my grasp to accomplish.”

Leathers, who has been a member of the Lee A. Archer RedTail Youth Flying Program for the past four years, was one of several of his senior classmates who were being honored with a scholarship at the Major General Irene Trowell-Harris Chapter Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. 25th Annual Tuition Assistance Award Celebration, held at Montgomery’s Colden Manor at Spruce Lodge Saturday night. The Red Tails, one of three programs offered by the local chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen organization, not only instills a love for and competence in flying in youth, allowing them to attain varied levels and licenses, but develops priceless leadership and other integral real life skills whose impact is felt by all of its members.

“This program is about so much more than aviation; it’s about how to be a better person in the community, and how to succeed in the future,” explained Leathers, the recipient of the 2023 Lee Archer Hudson Valley Tuskegee Airmen Endowment Fund Award. “Working at the RedTail Summer Program and mentoring kids showed me there’s so much more I can and want to do to help support kids with their future goals in the same way I have received such a strong base, filled with people who really care about the students and support their potential in this program.”

That mentoring cycle has deep, historic roots tracing back to its namesake, The Tuskegee Airmen, a courageous contingent of close to 1000 aviators, who hold the distinction of the first African-American military pilots. Fighting proudly for our country during World War II, they faced even larger internal battles at home, where Jim Crow Laws, segregating the military, created harsh, unjust conditions; yet still, these inspiring men prevailed, enduring seemingly insurmountable roadblocks, combated with an immeasurable work ethic and unwavering patriotism.

Their story, rarely even mentioned in American History classes, was discovered by another RedTail Scholarship recipient (2023 Dr. Irene Trowell-Harris and The Egbert & Gwen Spencer OD Hudson Valley Tuskegee Airmen Endowment Fund Award), Valley Central senior, Damien Pascal, Jr. Locating a book as a child that unraveled the trailblazing journey of the Tuskegee Men, Pascal, Jr., like so many others in the Program, was ignited to reach for more, keeping their memory, laden with the concepts of no limitations and belief in oneself, alive.

Now, since the RedTail’s inception over a quarter of a century later, 230 Hudson Valley students have been awarded over $300,000 in scholarships. Over 900 students of color and underrepresented talent have been mentored for over 400 hours annually while receiving 50 hours of flight instruction. And, despite a two-year Pandemic that barred many programs, RedTail continued its momentum both in-person and virtually.

It’s numbers and accomplishments that left newly elected 19th District Congressman and West Point graduate, Pat Ryan, in awe; while speaking with some of the students, witnessing their passion first-hand for their airborne craft created inexplicable hope amidst what he termed divisive and unprecedented challenging times.

“I am humbled and honored to be with you all; during these times, I often ask how we come back together as human beings, and I can’t think of a better way than what we are doing here tonight,” said Ryan. “To know we are producing the next generation of leaders really gives me hope that we are going to come out of all this, and hearing the stories of young people here is really fueling me to want to fight hard to help make that happen.”

That same arduous mentality is carried by Glen Fraser, President of the RedTail Youth Flying Program, who similar to his students, is driven to give back and do more while carrying on the vision of the Tuskegee Airmen.

“I’m on a mission to diversify the skies,” said an emotional Fraser, “I am inspired in everything I do by the Tuskegee Airmen, and cannot believe I didn’t even learn about them until I was in the military, which is a shame it was never taught in school, but this is all destiny, serendipity that this organization formed, and our job is always going to be to develop leaders above all else.”

In addition to Leathers and Pascal, Jr. receiving scholarship awards, other recipients were; David Kramer (Middletown High School), MacRae Edelen (Cornwall Central High School), Mehak Singh (Newburgh Free Academy) and Zachary Chester (Our Lady of Lourdes High School, Poughkeepsie.)

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