Celtic Club partners with library to honor WWII fighter pilots

by Laura Bednar

To honor the Tuskegee Airmen during Black History Month in February, the Fairlawn-Bath Branch Library displayed a seven-foot retractable banner featuring the history of America’s first African American fighter pilots in World War II. The display includes photos and lists the names, ranks and Ohio hometowns of the 69 Ohio Tuskegee Airmen pilots. The banner is part of the Celtic Club’s Green Man Project.

Jim Collver, member of the Celtic Club of Ohio, explained that “green man” in Celtic mythology represents “spring” or “rebirth.” The Green Man Project began in 2022 to honor African American track Olympian Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals and received an oak sapling from Germany’s Black Forest with each medal.

In recognition of the medals, Collver planted four trees in Ohio, the first at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center at Kent State University in honor of Owens, Collver’s father and William Cox, who was a flight mechanic for the Tuskegee Airmen in Alabama during WWII. 

The second tree was planted at the Riverfront YMCA in Cuyahoga Falls, also for these men. The third tree is planted at Lee Jackson Field at The University of Akron in honor of Owens and the first African American female and male UA track athletes: Tracie Haynes, who ran from 1982-1986, and Emmer Lancaster, who ran from 1919-1921. Collver said he will plant the fourth tree this year at Fairlawn Veteran’s park for Owens, his father and Cox.

“To further honor Cox and the Tuskegee Airmen, I planted a Red Maple tree – the Airmen were known as the Red Tails because of the red tail markings on their P-51 Mustang aircrafts – at The University of Akron,” said Collver. “What better symbol of spring or rebirth than a tree?” 

During the tree and plaque dedication ceremony at the university last summer, Celtic Club members read the names, ranks and Ohio hometowns of all 69 Ohio Tuskegee Airmen pilots.

“We were so pleased to have the Tuskegee Airmen banner at the Fairlawn-Bath Branch Library. It garnered much interest from our patrons and encouraged them to check out library items from our display,” said Scott Schrade, library manager. “Thank you to Jim Collver and the Celtic Club for providing this wonderful resource to us and helping to enlighten our community about the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II.”

Collver said the banner will be displayed throughout March at locations in Portage, Stark and Summit counties leading up to Ohio Tuskegee Airmen Day on March 29. The banner displays lead up to a May 30-31 event at the Military Aviation Preservation Society Museum in Green. The Tuskegee Airmen organization will attend with a flyover and a P-51 Mustang. The Celtic Club will read the names, ranks and Ohio hometowns from the banner, which will be on display at the preservation society museum through the summer.

Photo caption: Fairlawn-Bath Library staff (l-r) Manager Scott Schrade, Annie Sejba and Amelia Hozapfel pose with the banner, which will be on display at the Military Aviation Preservation Society Museum this summer. Photo submitted.