C. Alfred “Chief” Anderson, who played a critical role in training the Tuskegee Airmen — the nation’s first African-American military pilots — will be immortalized on a 2-ounce 70-cent stamp. Anderson is known as the Father of Black Aviation for his major contributions to the field.
U.S. Postal Service Administrative Judge William Campbell, whose father was a decorated Tuskegee Airman, will be joined by a number of surviving Tuskegee Airmen in dedicating the stamp, March 13, 2014, at its first-day-of-issue (FDOI) ceremony in Bryn Mawr, PA.
Postmasters are encouraged to recognize Anderson’s achievements by inviting surviving Tuskegee Airmen to take part in local stamp dedication ceremonies.
Note: The term “second-day” ceremony is no longer used as it implies that a local ceremony can only be held the day after the FDOI. Rather, to enhance awareness of Anderson and the Tuskegee Airmen, Postmasters should feel free to conduct local ceremonies at any appropriate time following the March 13, 2014, First-Day-of-Issue.
This Publicity Kit contains:
n Stamp image information.
n Sample media advisory.
n Sample news release (includes background information on Anderson).
n Sample fill-in speech.
n Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. chapters for inviting surviving World War II airmen: http://tuskegeeairmen.org/explore-tai/tai-chapters/
n Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. media kit materials containing airmen backgrounds: http://tuskegeeairmen.org/wp-content/uploads/2013-TAI-Media-Kit.pdf
n Contact for obtaining stamp enlargements for local ceremonies.
n Corporate Communications contacts for promoting media interviews and/or events.
n Government Relations contacts for inviting elected officials.
Word documents of the sample media advisory, news release, and speech are available by emailing mark.r.saunders@usps.gov.
Stamp Image
Illustrator Sterling Hundley of Richmond, VA, used a combination of acrylic, watercolor, and oil paint to create the stamp art. His portrait of Anderson is based on a photograph from a 1942 yearbook of the Tuskegee Institute’s flight training school in Tuskegee, AL. Hundley added headgear used by pilots in World War II. Verso text appears on the back of the stamp pane. Art director Phil Jordan of Falls Church, VA, designed the stamp.
Contact: [Name]
[Insert Date] xxxxxxxx@usps.gov
XXX.XXX.XXXX
usps.com/news
Town Resident, Tuskegee Airman, Dedicates Stamp
Honoring Father of Black Aviation
A high-resolution image of the stamp is available for media use only by emailing mark.r.saunders@usps.gov.
WHAT: Town Name Resident, Tuskegee Airman, to dedicate stamp immortalizing the Father of Black Aviation, C. Alfred “Chief” Anderson.
WHEN: Time, Day, Date
WHERE: Location
Street Address
City, State, ZIP
WHO: Name, a Tuskegee Airman who served in World War II and was trained by Anderson.
Name
Name
Name
BACKGROUND: Include background on Tuskegee Airman at stamp ceremony here.
Upon securing his pilot’s license in 1932, Anderson was the only African American in the country qualified to serve as a flight instructor or to fly commercially. He then began breaking flight records and inspiring other African Americans to become pilots. During World War II, Anderson served as the chief flight instructor of a flying school at Tuskegee Institute. To the Tuskegee Airmen who learned their piloting skills from Anderson, he was affectionately known as “Chief.” During the war, the Tuskegee Airmen flew thousands of sorties in the European theater, destroyed more than a hundred German aircraft and received scores of Distinguished Flying Crosses.
# # #
Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS newsroom at http://about.usps.com/news/welcome.htm.
For reporters interested in speaking with a regional Postal Service public relations professional, please go to http://about.usps.com/news/media-contacts/usps-local-media-contacts.pdf.
Follow us on http://twitter.com/USPS and like us at http://facebook.com/USPS. For more information about the Postal Service, go to http://usps.com and http://usps.com/postalfacts.
Contact: [Name]
[Insert Date] xxxxxxxx@usps.gov
XXX.XXX.XXXX
usps.com/news
Tuskegee Airman Dedicates Stamp
Honoring Father of Black Aviation
A high-resolution image of the stamp is available for media use only by emailing mark.r.saunders@usps.gov.
City, State — Local resident [Name], a World War II veteran who served as a member of the prestigious Tuskegee Airmen, joined the [Name] Post Office in paying tribute during a special stamp dedication ceremony to honor the icon who played a key role in training the nation’s first African-American military pilots — C. Alfred “Chief” Anderson who served as Chief Flight Instructor.
As the 15th stamp in the Postal Service’s Distinguished American series, the 70-cent First-Class Mail stamp, available in sets of 20, is good for mailing First-Class letters weighing up to 2 ounces. Customers may purchase the stamps at http://usps.com/stamps, at 800-STAMP24
(800-782-6724), at Post Offices nationwide or at http://ebay.com/stamps.
(Insert quote from Tuskegee Airman here. If possible, have the quote reflect on his relationship with Anderson and the value his leadership and training brought to the Tuskegee Airmen.)
(Quote from Postmaster/Dedicating Official here.)
Illustrator Sterling Hundley of Richmond, VA, used a combination of acrylic, watercolor and oil paint to create the stamp art. His portrait of Anderson is based on a photograph from a 1942 yearbook of the Tuskegee Institute’s flight training school in Tuskegee, AL. Hundley added headgear used by pilots in World War II. Art director Phil Jordan of Falls Church, VA, designed the stamp.
The Father of Black Aviation
C. Alfred “Chief” Anderson (1907-1996) traced his fascination with airplanes to his early childhood when he lived with his grandmother in the Shenandoah Valley near Staunton, VA. She was troubled by his habit of running off in search of planes.
After returning to his parents’ home in Bryn Mawr, PA, Anderson pursued his dream of becoming a pilot. Since no flight schools would accept him as a student because of his race, he needed a plane of his own to learn how to fly. He was able to raise $2,500 from supportive members of his community and bought a used plane. As Anderson later recalled, he learned to fly by reading books, getting some help from a few friendly white pilots, and, in his own words, “fooling around with” the plane. By 1929, he taught himself well enough, against all odds, to obtain a private pilot’s license.
To help him qualify for an air transport or commercial license, Anderson eventually found an instructor, Ernest Buehl — a recent immigrant from Germany and owner of a flying school near Philadelphia — who was able to refine his techniques and even persuade a federal examiner to let Anderson take the commercial pilot’s test. When Anderson secured the license in 1932, he was the only African American in the nation qualified to serve as a flight instructor or to fly commercially.
Anderson was soon breaking flight records and inspiring other African Americans to become pilots. In 1933, he and Albert E. Forsythe, a physician and Tuskegee Institute alumnus, teamed up to become the first African-American pilots to complete a round-trip transcontinental flight. With that flight and their goodwill tour to the Caribbean in 1934, they sought to prove to the world the abilities and skills of African-American aviators.
As part of the publicity campaign for their goodwill flight, Anderson and Forsythe flew to Tuskegee, AL, for a ceremony at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University), where their plane was christened The Booker T. Washington, after the famous leader who was the first head of the renowned educational institution. Tuskegee provided support for the tour, initiating the school’s public role as a promoter of African-American aviation.
The Tuskegee Airmen
World War II gave Anderson the opening he needed to make a career in aviation. In 1939, as war erupted in Europe, Congress created the Civilian Pilot Training Program at the urging of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The program provided funding to train tens of thousands of young people who could be transitioned to military service in the event of war. A provision in the legislation permitted civilian flight training for African Americans, a significant step toward the long-range goal of opening up the elite, all-white Army Air Corps to qualified African-American applicants.
Tuskegee Institute won a government contract to establish a Civilian Pilot Training Program and named Anderson chief flight instructor soon after hiring him in 1940. To those who learned their piloting skills in the program, he was affectionately known as “Chief.”
Tuskegee’s subsequent role in training the nation’s first African-American military pilots is historic. In January of 1941, the year leading up to the country’s entry into World War II, the War Department announced plans to create a “Negro pursuit squadron” that would be trained at Tuskegee. In March, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, a champion of equal opportunity for African Americans, visited Tuskegee and was introduced to Anderson. He later recalled her saying that everybody told her African Americans couldn’t fly. “I’m going up with you,” she told him, “to find out for sure.” After Anderson gave her an aerial tour of the campus and surrounding area, she announced, “Well, you can fly all right.” A widely publicized photograph of the smiling pair in the cockpit of a Piper Cub sent a powerful message about the First Lady’s support.
Soon after her flight, Mrs. Roosevelt participated in the decision to finance the construction of Tuskegee Institute’s own airfield, Moton Field, which the institute needed for a primary flying school. Construction also began in the summer of 1941 on the Tuskegee Army Air Field, where graduates of the primary flying school earned their wings by completing basic and advanced military flight training.
The War Department’s plans for an African-American pursuit squadron took shape when the 99th Pursuit Squadron (later renamed the 99th Fighter Squadron) began training in March 1941. The first class of African-American pilots graduated in March 1942, and soon thereafter the nation’s first all-African-American military aviation unit became fully staffed. In 1943, under Lt. Col. Benjamin O. Davis Jr., the 99th of the U.S. Army Air Forces began combat operations in North Africa. Members of the 99th — along with members of several other all-African-American flying units whose pilots began their training under Anderson at Moton Field — are now commonly known as the Tuskegee Airmen.
During the war, the Tuskegee Airmen escorted heavy bombers on hundreds of missions in the European theater. They flew thousands of sorties, destroyed more than a hundred German aircraft and received scores of Distinguished Flying Crosses. Their professionalism and effectiveness in combat was a significant reason that in 1949, the newly independent U.S. Air Force became the nation’s first armed service to desegregate.
For the rest of his life after the war, Anderson pursued his passion for flying and for teaching others to fly. In 1967, he helped organize Negro Airmen International (http://www.blackwingsonline.com/) to encourage interest in aviation among African-American youth. In 1996, Anderson died at his home in Tuskegee at age 89. In 2012, Anderson’s granddaughter, Christina, started the C. Alfred “Chief” Anderson Legacy Foundation to honor the legacy of Chief Anderson (http://chiefanderson.com).
Ordering First-Day-of-Issue Postmarks
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at local Post Offices, at http://usps.com/stamps or by calling
800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes to themselves or others and place them in larger envelopes addressed to:
C. Alfred “Chief” Anderson Stamp
16 North Bryn Mawr Avenue
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010-9998
After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. For more than 50, there is a 5-cent charge per postmark. All orders must be postmarked by May 13, 2014.
Ordering First-Day Covers
The Postal Service also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic catalog online at http://usps.com/shop or by calling 800-782-6724. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-782-6724 or writing to:
U.S. Postal Service
Catalog Request
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014
Philatelic Products
There are seven philatelic products available for this stamp issue:
n 117106, Press Sheet w/Die Cuts, $112.00
(print quantity of 1,000).
n 117108, Press Sheet w/o Die Cuts, $112.00
(print quantity of 1,000).
n 117110, Keepsake (Pane of 20, 1 Digital Color
Postmark), $15.95.
n 117116, First-Day Cover, $1.14.
n 117121, Digital Color Postmark, $1.85.
n 117131, Stamp Deck Card, $0.95.
n 117132, Stamp Deck Card w/Digital Color Postmark, $2.20.
Customers may view the C. Alfred “Chief” Anderson stamp, as well as many of this year’s other stamps, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/USPSStamps, on Twitter @USPSstamps or at http://uspsstamps.com, the Postal Service’s online site for information on upcoming stamp subjects, first-day-of-issue events and other philatelic news.
# # #
Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at http://about.usps.com/news/welcome.htm.
For reporters interested in speaking with a regional Postal Service public relations professional, please go to http://about.usps.com/news/media-contacts/usps-local-media-contacts.pdf.
Follow us on http://twitter.com/USPS and like us at http://facebook.com/USPS. For more information about the Postal Service, go to http://usps.com and http://usps.com/postalfacts.
Sample Stamp Dedication Speech
Postal Service Official’s Name And Title
United States Postal Service
C. Alfred “Chief” Anderson
Special Dedication Ceremony
Date
City, State
Time
Thank you all for joining us at today’s event. [Optional: Add A Brief Comment About How This Location Relates To “Chief” Anderson]
I also want to thank all of our special guests for joining us in beautiful [City/Town/Location/Type of Setting].
In particular, I’m glad that our good friend [Name of Elected Official] is here, along with [Any Other Individuals That Should Be Recognized].
On behalf of the United States Postal Service, I am delighted to be here as we dedicate a commemorative Forever stamp to C. Alfred “Chief” Anderson — an aviation pioneer who inspired, motivated, and educated thousands of young people in aviation careers, including the famed “Tuskegee Airmen” of World War II.
Mr. Anderson is the 15th person we have honored with a stamp in our Distinguished Americans series.
He joins the ranks of great Americans like Senator Claude Pepper; Wilma Rudolph; Harriet Beecher Stowe; Dr. Jonas Salk; Margaret Chase Smith; James Michener, and others so honored.
Launched in 2000 with the 10-cent stamp honoring General Joseph Stilwell, the Distinguished Americans series helps to share the stories of notable Americans with households and businesses throughout America.
And what a remarkable story we have to share with the American people about the “Father of Black Aviation.”
(Pause)
Although his skin color made his dream of flying nearly impossible to realize due to the fact that flight schools denied admission to African Americans, Charles Alfred Anderson was determined to defy the odds.
So he taught himself to fly, and obtained a private pilot’s license in 1929.
Three years later, Mr. Anderson secured his air transport license — the highest grade of commercial license.
Before long, Mr. Anderson was setting records and inspiring others to become pilots.
In 1933, for instance, he and Albert E. Forsythe, a physician, teamed up to become the first African-American pilots to complete a round-trip transcontinental flight.
In 1934, a publicity tour for another of the pair’s history-making flights — to the West Indies and Central America — took Mr. Anderson to Tuskegee, Alabama — the place he would call home for 56 years.
But it was World War II that gave Mr. Anderson the opening he needed to make a career in aviation.
In 1939, as war erupted in Europe, Congress provided funding, through the Civilian Pilot Training Program, to train thousands of young people who could be transitioned to military service in the event of war.
The Civilian Pilot Training Act prohibited discrimination based on race, creed, or color. Soon, Tuskegee Institute won a government contract to establish its own Civilian Pilot Training Program.
From 1940 through 1945, Mr. Anderson served as the chief instructor of that program, earning among his students the affectionate nickname of “Chief.”
In March 1942, the first class of African-American pilots graduated, and the following August, the nation’s first all-African-American military aviation unit became fully staffed.
Those who served in the 99th Fighter Squadron and other squadrons in the 332nd Fighter Group — the Tuskegee Airmen — did so with great courage, valor, and distinction, as they destroyed more than a hundred German aircraft, flew thousands of sorties in the European theater, and earned hundreds of medals and awards.
In 2007, they were collectively awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President George W. Bush and the U.S. Congress.
The Airmen’s outstanding record was accomplished by men who had an extraordinary teacher in “Chief” Anderson, and their heroism will forever be an important part of our country’s history and heritage.
Indeed, the Airmen’s professionalism and effectiveness in combat was a significant reason that in 1949, the newly independent U.S. Air Force became the nation’s first armed service to desegregate.
Friends, today we honor a true American hero….a man whose life was a shining example of integrity, self-reliance, and contributions to others.
And with the release of today’s stamp, Chief Anderson’s legacy will travel far and wide, throughout this nation.
Everyone who buys or receives this wonderful new stamp, which was designed by art director Phil Jordan and illustrated by Sterling Hundley, will be reminded of this great American hero and patriot, and his many contributions to the field of aviation.
So now, on behalf of the United States Postal Service, I’d like to ask ____________ to join me as we present our C. Alfred “Chief” Anderson commemorative Forever Stamp.
[Unveil stamps. Pose for photos]
– End –
Obtaining Blowups for Dedication Event
Poster-sized blowups of the C. Alfred “Chief” Anderson stamp can be purchased through Colours Imaging, http://coloursimaging.com, by contacting Zach Scott, zscott@coloursinc.com or by calling 703-379-1121.
Area Corporate Communications Managers
Please feel free to contact your area Communications Manager for assistance in promoting your event.
Capital Metro
George Maffett
email: george.t.maffett@usps.gov
Telephone: 301-548-1465
Eastern
Paul Smith
email: paul.f.smith@usps.gov
Telephone: 215-863-5055
Great Lakes
Acting Manager: Ed Moore
email: edward.r.moore@usps.gov
Telephone: 313-225-5452
Pacific
Don Smeraldi
email: don.a.smeraldi@usps.gov
Telephone: 858-674-3149
Northeast
Maureen Marion
email: maureen.p.marion@usps.gov
Telephone: 860-285-7029
Southern
Polly Gibbs
email: polly.j.gibbs@usps.gov
Telephone: 214-819-8704
Western
John Friess
email: john.g.friess@usps.gov
Telephone: 303-313-5130
Congressional State Representative Listing
For assistance in inviting members of Congress
202-268-XXXX:
— Media Relations,
Corporate Communications, 3-6-14
