West Covina Rose Float Foundation Unveils 2010 Design
“Entry Pays Tribute to Tuskegee Airmen
On Thursday, July 2, 2009, the West Covina Rose Float Foundation hosted a special event at our office in Heritage Park (3510 East Cameron Avenue, West Covina, CA 91791) where we unveiled the design of our twelfth consecutive entry into the prestigious Pasadena Tournament of Roses® Parade to be held on January 1, 2010.
This year the West Covina Rose Float Foundation’s entry title “Tuskegee Airmen –A Cut Above,” pays tribute to the service, bravery, and commitment of the Tuskegee Airmen. At the event were surviving Tuskegee Airmen, members of the West Covina Rose Float Foundation, float designer Raul Rodriquez, and representatives of Charisma Floats who are constructing the float in Irwindale, California.
The Tuskegee Airmen is the name of a group of African American pilots who flew with distinction during World War II as the 332nd Fighter Group of the US Army Air Corps trained at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama. This Fighter Group included the 99th Fighter Squadron that began training in July 1941 and served with distinction in North Africa and European campaigns. Also known as the “Redtails”, because of the distinctive red paint on the vertical stabilizers of the unit’s aircraft, the 99th Fighter Squadron received two Distinguished Unit Citations, several Silver Stars, 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 8 Purple Hearts, 14 Bronze Stars, and 744 Air Medals. By the end of the war, 992 pilots were trained in Tuskegee. In addition, approximately 17,000 African American men and women were trained for service in the Army Air Corps, including mechanics, communication specialists, cooks, medical technicians, parachute riggers, administrative clerks, flight instructors, navigators, and bombardiers.
The West Covina Rose Float Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and is fully responsible for the management and fundraising activities of their annual entry into the Pasadena Tournament of Roses® Parade. In the twelve years of participating in the Rose Parade®, the West Covina Rose Float Foundation has earned four trophies, including the Isabella Coleman, Past President, and Mayor’s Trophies.