COLUMBUS, Ohio — As Veterans Day approaches, the Ohio Supreme Court is shedding light on a group of African American military pilots and airmen who fought in World War 2.

What You Need To Know

  • The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of African American military pilots and airmen who fought in World War 2

  • The Ohio Supreme Court payed tribute to the group by unveiling a new exhibit on display at the high court 

  • The group helped fight racial barriers 

The court unveiled a new exhibit that pays tribute to the lasting legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen. Those airmen were the first Black military personell who were trained at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama despite the racial barriers they faced more than 80 years ago.

John Mitchell, son of a Tuskegee Airman, was extremely proud as he browsed the new exhibit unveiled at the Ohio Supreme Court honoring the first African American pilots who served in the United States Military during World War 2.

"My father was a original Tuskegee Airman, and he went to Tuskegee, Alabama," Mitchell said. "He went into the aviation aspect of it, did not graduate, but he stayed with the unit and went through Africa and Italy and was with the unit throughout the war." 

Rufus Mitchell served as a member of the ground crew of the Tuskegee airmen who, during World War 2, conquered racial barriers while fighting for their country. As Mitchell looked at the achievements of the Tuskegee Airmen at the Ohio Supreme Court, he hopes people can take home a little bit of American history.  

"Seeing the faces on the walls," Mitchell said, "you realize that we have been there. And more importantly, the excellence that they have shown throughout their tenure, it makes it absolutely fabulous for anybody, especially the young people that's coming on and looking at, okay, what can we do? What can we achieve?" 

The airmen flew nearly 1,500 missions and also helped lead desegregation efforts within the United States armed forces. Meanwhile, the group also had a close connection to the Buckeye state. Several airmen called Ohio home after the war.

"The Tuskegee Airmen to be recognized at the highest court level in the state of Ohio is is just a wonderful," said Gregory Edmond, who is the president of the Ohio Memorial Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen. "They overcame adversity. They overcame people seeing, wanting to say, 'no, you cannot fly.' They did not take no for an answer, and they rose above."  

The exhibit is on display at the Visitor Education Center at the high court and it is letting visitors appreciate Ohio’s unique history and responsibility of fairness within the overall court system and in the community.

In addition to the exhibit on the Tuskegee airmen, the state’s high court also unveiled another display that honors its 42 former justices who have served in the military since 1802.

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