JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
The Tidewater Chapter - Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., awarded the commander of Air Combat Command an honorary membership here Sept. 8.
General William M. Fraser III accepted a "Red Tail" sport coat from the organization in a ceremony that was the fifth of its kind in 30 years for this chapter of the famed Tuskegee Airmen.
"We don't do this often," said retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. T.J. Spann. "Our chapter found [Fraser] extremely worthy."
The jacket's red color is symbolic of the red tail paint used on the P-51 aircraft flown by the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II. The general's honorary status will not give him voting rights with the organization, but recognizes him as an ardent proponent and affords him a position as an advisor and advocate.
The ceremony, inducting a Caucasian general officer to the chapter's ranks, was indicative of the progress made since the years of racism and segregation faced by the first black military Airmen in the 1940s, said Harry Quinton, one of four Documented Original Tuskegee Airmen present for the ceremony.
"When I first entered the Service, a ceremony like this would never have happened," he said.
"It is a change from the way things used to be," when members of different races were unaccustomed even to holding normal conversation, said retired Chief Master Sgt. Grant S. Williams, Sr., also a Documented Original Tuskegee Airman.
Two general officers and two civilians have previously received the honor from the local unit, including retired U.S. Air Force Generals Ralph E. Eberhart and Hal M. Hornburg, former ACC commanders.
"I'm extremely humbled and honored," Fraser said. "I've always had a special place in my heart for the Tuskegee Airmen."
The general has helped preserve the Tuskegee Airmen's legacy through his efforts to support the local chapter, Spann said. Fraser hosted the chapter's youth program at ACC headquarters, encouraged ACC units to display Tuskegee Airmen memorabilia, and bolstered interaction between the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing and local chapters of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. The 332nd, which is deployed to Iraq, traces its heritage to the Tuskegee Airmen's World War II-era 332d Fighter Group.
"We - all Airmen - are proud of the Tuskegee Airmen," Fraser said.
The ceremony marked the beginning of several days of formality related to the ACC change of command, set for Sept. 13, when the general will be replaced by General Gilmary Michael Hostage III.
"We want to keep you here," Spann said, referring to Fraser's impending move to command U.S. Transportation Command at Scott Air Force Base, Ill.
Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., is a non-profit organization with 55 chapters of Tuskegee Airmen and supporters nationwide.