New book details stories of Tuskegee Airmen with ties to Arizona

“Black Wings Over Arizona” is a collective history featuring the stories of nineteen documented original Tuskegee Airmen who had ties to bases in Arizona after WWII. For over 79 years, their commitment, dedication, performance and contributions were at the forefront of change as civil rights activists, civic leaders, educators and entrepreneurs in Arizona. The book also chronicles the heroism of 855 African American women sent to Europe during WWII to clear a two to three year backlog of mail for the American troops.

Col. Richard ‘Dick’ Toliver, a retired US Air Force Fighter Pilot and author, joined “Arizona Horizon” to talk about his new book. Toliver graduated from the Tuskegee Institute and was mentored, trained and commissioned by the Tuskegee Airmen. He graduated from “Top Gun” school and then flew 446 combat missions in Southeast Asia over two tours. Toliver retired from the Air Force in 1989 after 26 years of distinguished service.

The title “Black Wings Over Arizona” came about as Col. Richard ‘Dick’ Toliver said he “wanted to reflect the character of people, image of the people, the beautiful backdrop of Arizona.”

“When I was a youngester of 18 years old and wanted to go to Tuskegee I wanted to be a pilot after growing up in World War II in Califronia,” said Col. Richard ‘Dick’ Toliver.