The Tuskegee Airmen historic site in Alabama is being honored with a new quarter by the U.S. Mint, Alabama News Center reports.
The Mint recently released the new 2021 America The Beautiful Quarter paying homage to the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site. The America The Beautiful Quarters Program launched in 2010 and consists of “56 quarters depicting national parks and other national sites.” This quarter commemorating the Tuskegee Airmen is the final quarter of the collection.
The National Historic Site at Moton Field in Tuskegee, Alabama, honors the men and women who trained there during World War II. It also highlights their contribution to winning the war and paving the way for Black pilots in the U.S. military. The Tuskegee Airmen are a distinguished group of men and women, including more than 1,000 pilots and 15,000 support staff held in high regard for their service, the U.S. Mint reports. Throughout history, this group continues to be celebrated, from Congressional medals to jets named in their honor.
The Mint news released a statement about the quarters’ intricate design, saying, “The pilot looks upward with pride and confidence as two P-51 Mustangs pass overhead. The inscription ‘THEY FOUGHT TWO WARS’ is arced across the top as a reference to the dual battles the Tuskegee Airmen fought – fascism abroad and racial discrimination at home.”
The “heads” side of the quarter still depicts George Washington’s portrait, but the “tails” side features the new design with the Moton Field control tower’s image behind the pilot. The quarter was designed by Chris Costello of the Artistic Infusion Program and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill, a medallic artist.
Photo Courtesy of The U.S. Mint/Alabama News Center
“It is fitting that such a significant historic site will complete this successful coin program. The Mint is proud to honor the men and women who overcame segregation and prejudice to become one of the most highly respected fighter groups of World War II,” Mint Director David J. Ryder said.
