Exhibit features work of Tuskegee Airman turned artist

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Amaani Lyle
  • Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (AFNS) --  In the 1930s, a teenage boy paid 50 cents for a "barnstormer" flight aboard a Ford Trimotor plane that carried him across the sky of rural Pine Bluff, Ark.

That boy was Roy LaGrone, and the flight sparked his passion for aviation. Mr. LaGrone would go on to serve as one of the original Tuskegee Airmen and later became a prolific artist, helping tell the Air Force story on canvas for nearly 45 years.

In tribute, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz hosted a ceremony Feb. 15 here, in which the late artist's family, friends and colleagues, along with members of the art community, viewed several pieces of Mr. LaGrone's work.

The ceremony was the second of its kind to take place at the Air Force art gallery on the Pentagon's top floor, following last year's opening of the Henri Farre exhibit.

During his remarks, General Schwartz related Mr. LaGrone's recollection of his pivotal barnstormer's flight: "He recalled, 'as soon as I got up there, I knew absolutely this is what I wanted to do.'"

General Schwartz said Mr. LaGrone joined many African Americans of his era in fighting on two fronts: against the axis overseas and against racial prejudice in the U.S. armed forces.

"Roy is unique for both making history as a Tuskegee Airman and for dedicating his considerable artistic talents toward preserving the history of this great story for his fellow Airmen," General Schwartz said.

As World War II was raging, Mr. LaGrone's path first led him to Europe after he was drafted into the Army Air Corps as a sergeant. He later received an assignment back to the Tuskegee's 318th Air Base Squadron in Alabama, where he was commissioned as a flight officer.

Following his time in Tuskegee, Mr. LaGrone was transferred to Caserta, Italy, a locale he would later describe during a 1985 reunion as the only place in which he could "sit down in a restaurant and be treated like a customer."

After World War II, Mr. LaGrone studied art at the University of Florence in Italy before returning to the United States, where he was honorably discharged in 1946.

Mr. LaGrone then studied fine art and drawing at the Pratt Institute in New York, jumpstarting a career that encompassed art direction, book jacket and album cover design and, in 1961, acceptance by the prestigious New York Society of Illustrators as an artist member.

Mr. LaGrone cherished his Tuskegee Airman roots and devoted himself to the organization's two-fold mission of preserving its heritage and inspiring youth to pursue careers in aviation, General Schwartz said.

"Roy's love of the Tuskegee Airmen inspired him to create the art that surrounds us today, and the Air Force Art Program offered him the means to produce this remarkable body of work," the general said.

Russell Kirk, the Air Force Art Program director, said he too sees the program as a springboard for talented artists such as Mr. LaGrone.

"The Air Force has been telling its story, through the medium of artwork, for 61 years," Mr. Kirk said. "We've been very lucky to have a lot of artists donate their time and efforts to document our mission...walking a mile in Airmen's shoes and putting that experience to canvas."

Mr. LaGrone's ability to capture the essence of the Tuskegee Airmen and the Air Force in his paintings is apparent to many of his fans, particularly those who knew him best.

"It's a real tribute to us," said William Broadwater, the second national president of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., and one of five documented original Tuskegee Airmen attendees. "The pictures are almost photographic they're so lifelike. We couldn't have any better honor in terms what he leaves behind for future generations."

As a past New York Society of Illustrators' Air Force art chairman, Mr. LaGrone donated considerable time and effort both traveling for and managing the program, General Schwartz said.

"The story of the Tuskegee Airmen is better known today because of Roy's magnificent artistic portrayals of his fellow Airmen and their exploits," the general said. "As one of the Airmen who learned to fly at Tuskegee 70 years ago, Roy was a national treasure, and now the artwork he left for us will remain for all time a national treasure as well."

Mr. LaGrone's grandson, Azul Amaral, said he knew well of his grandfather's desire to paint past and present black pilots for the Air Force art program.

"This was really his dream," said Mr. Amaral, who is an artist and photographer. "For him to have this event, to be buried in Arlington (National Cemetery), and to have these honors is amazing, mind-blowing and inspiring."

His first-born daughter said she remembers her father as an artistic humanitarian.

"He was my greatest teacher," said Marilyn LaGrone-Amaral, who is also an artist. "He still guides me and has been instrumental in reminding me this is not an engine of financial gain. It's about the passion and the art -- his legacy is a testament to that."

William Davidson, the administrative assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, also delivered remarks, and attendees included Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley, Mr. LaGrone's widow Ester LaGrone, and their youngest daughter Tania LaGrone-Lewis.

Mr. LaGrone died in 1993 at his home in Somerset, N.J. He was 72.

For more information, visit the Air Force Art Program website at www.afapo.hq.af.mil.