Pittsburgh Tuskegee Airmen Oral History Recording Project

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW PARTNERSHIP CREATES HISTORIC ORAL HISTORY RECORDING PROJECT DEDICATED TO THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN OF THE GREATER PITTSBURGH AREA

PITTSBURGH, PA - November 1, 2011 - The Tuskegee Airmen Memorial of Greater Pittsburgh, Inc. and The Social Voice Project^® have created a new oral history recording project aimed at capturing, preserving, sharing, and celebrating the stories of Pittsburgh’s own Tuskegee Airmen of World War II.

It is the mission of the Tuskegee Airmen Memorial organization to honor local citizens who served with the legendary Tuskegee Airmen. Until recently, it was unknown that the largest contingent of World War II enlistees in the Tuskegee Airmen program—more than 80 men and one woman—came from the Greater Pittsburgh region.

Overcoming racial discrimination of the worst kind, these Airmen ultimately served with distinction as flight instructors, pilots, bombardiers, navigators, and technically skilled flight line support personnel. After the war, many went on to have distinguished military and civilian careers. However, for decades their story went largely unheard and unrecognized. Sixty-one years after the war in 2007, Congress formally recognized The Red Tails’ service with the Congressional Gold Medal—our nation’s highest civilian award. Standing to salute the elderly Airmen in attendance, the President and Commander-in-Chief emotionally said that he hoped his gesture would atone for “all the unreturned salutes and unforgivable indignities” that they had to endure.

Thanks to research by award-winning journalism legend Regis D. Bobonis Sr., a small group of local Tuskegee Airmen has been located. Mr. Bobonis serves as a trustee for the Tuskegee Airmen Memorial of Greater Pittsburgh, which is currently erecting a permanent memorial to the Airmen in Sewickley, PA. Among other Pittsburgh notables, Steelers great and NFL Hall of Famer Franco Harris serves as Honorary Chair of the Memorial project.

Proposed Tuskegee Airmen Memorial in Sewickley, PA

The Tuskegee Airmen of Greater Pittsburgh Oral History Recording Project is a value added effort in support of the Memorial and future educational projects by The Tuskegee Airmen Memorial of Greater Pittsburgh, Inc. The primary objective of this new oral history recording project is to gather and preserve the Airmen’s stories. “As the official audiographer, we are extremely honored to be a part of this historic effort,” said Kevin Farkas, founder and director of The Social Voice Project. “Our mission is tributary, as well as educational. We owe a debt of gratitude and respect to these Airmen. It’s our privilege to record and preserve their voices as part of our local and national heritage. Their remarkable stories give us insight into their courage, patriotism, and sacrifices. All Americans, especially our younger generations, should know the Tuskegee Airmen’s story.” The recording project is also part of The Social Voice Project’s nonprofit Veteran Voices of Pittsburgh Initiative, which invites all local veterans to share and preserve their life stories.

“The Social Voice Project is providing us with the technical expertise and highest quality resources to record and fully document these invaluable oral histories,” said Mr. Bobonis. “We want to archive these stories for historical and research purposes, but we also want to capture them with the highest quality recording standards—something most oral history projects overlook. This will enrich the listening experience, inspire the imagination, and warm the heart.”

For more information about The Tuskegee Airmen of Greater Pittsburgh Oral History Recording Project, contact Regis D. Bobonis, Sr. or Kevin Farkas. Educators and classroom teachers are encouraged to learn more about us. Please repost this news release.

Contact:

Regis D. Bobonis, Sr.
The Tuskegee Airmen Memorial
800.920.7584
tuskegeeairmenmemorialpgh@gmail.com
http://www.tuskegeememorialpittsburgh.org/

Kevin Farkas
The Social Voice Project^®
412.423.8034
TheSocialVoiceProject@gmail.com
http://thesocialvoiceproject.blogspot.com/

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In America

TSVP Family Voices: Scott S. Farkas by TheSocialVoiceProject

Scott Bombster Farkas in the Big Apple

After spending his senior year of high school in Michigan, Scott wanted to return to America.  This past fall, he said goodbye to Scotland and headed back to Michigan via New York City, then Atlantic City, Washington DC, and Miami.  TSVP caught up with him as he visited his grandparents in Pittsburgh.  Listen as Scott unfolds a few stories about his travels, his hopes for college, his family, his hometown of Dundee.   

Voices of Change: Occupy Pittsburgh

TSVP Voices of Change: Occupy Pittsburgh by TheSocialVoiceProject

Inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York City, Pittsburgh activists and citizens began occupying BNY/Mellon Park in the downtown area starting in October, 2011.

Listen as TSVP talks with participants about why they are there. Recorded October 24, 2011. Featuring the voices of Jack X, Curtiss X, Rev. Robert Kline (Global Undergroud Initiative), Chris X, and Tim X.



Occupy Pittsburgh, October 2011

New From StoryCorps: John Klein and Bernice Flournoy

“I had a position at a senior citizen facility...”

John Klein remembers meeting the love of his life, Mary Ann Allen, with her daughter Bernice Flournoy.

Veteran Voices of Pittsburgh: The National WW II and Korean War Memorials

TSVP Veteran Voices: National WW II & Korean War Memorials by TheSocialVoiceProject

left to right: Ted Flora, Bob Moore, Jack Rosenberger, Pete Schramm, John Baumgartner

On October 4, 2011 The Social Voice Project accompanied Pittsburgh area veterans to Washington DC to visit the National World War II Memorial and the Korean War Memorial.

This short audio piece features the veteran voices of Pete Schramm (Army/WW II), John Baumgartner (Army/WW II), Ted Flora (Army/WW II), Jack Rosenberger (Army/Korea), and Bob Moore (Navy/WW II).

Click here to view photos.

Coming Soon: More Veteran Voices of Pittsburgh

Coming soon to The Social Voice Project

Veteran Voices of Pittsburgh
at the National WW II Memorial
and the Korean War Memorial

Click here for recent photographs from our October 2011 trip.

My Father the Forger

Sarah Kaminsky

Sarah Kaminsky talks about her father, Adolfo Kaminsky, a forger with a mission.

Listen to her @ Create Your Life Story

Born in 1979 in Algeria, of an Argentinean father with Russian origins, and a Tuareg Algerian mother, Sarah Kaminsky arrived in France when she was 3 years old. Passionate about art since her childhood, she started learning the cello at age 4. As a teenager, she discovered two passions, which are still vibrant in her life: theater and writing. Since then, she's shared her time between her acting career and writing screenplays, plays or books.

In 2009, Sarah wrote a book worthy of the best spy novels, based on the true story of her father, Adolfo Kaminsky, genius-forger who committed his know-how and convictions to serve the French Resistance during World War II, saving thousands of Jewish families, and many others over the course of 30 years for various causes around the world.

Listen as Sarah tells the extraordinary story of her father Adolpho and his activity during World War II -- using his ingenuity and talent for forgery to save lives.