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Now they are being recognized by the city of Endicott, the NAACP and Lockheed Martin, the event's sponsor.

"This was a chance to honor these airmen. A truly significant group with a significant event in the Southern Tier," said Frank C. Meyer, president of Lockheed Martin System Integration-Owego.

While today was about honoring the Tuskegee airmen, it was also about remembering history and racial hatred in America, and the men and women who overcame this to fight for their country and move the nation forward.

"We had a unit that was second to none. And that was because of the pride, and the intent that people would not ridicule you all your life that you were not capable of doing anything," said Lt. Col. Spann Watson (Ret.), an original Tuskegee airman.

Some might say the Tuskegee airmen were the military equivalent of Rosa Parks or Jackie Robinson. But what do the airmen see as their modern role?

"Flying is behind us, that's not the mission. The mission today is to keep the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen alive. You can't do very much about what happened, but what you can do is make sure that our youth have some appreciation of the sacrifice," said Lt. Col. Ed Monroe (Ret.), president of the local Tuskegee Airmen chapter.

As the original airmen introduced themselves, they received the applause of the invitation-only audience. There was a sense of pride on their faces for, what one airman said, was "recognition of their struggle and sacrifice after over 60 years."

The original Tuskegee airmen were formed in 1941 in Tuskegee, Alabama and included some of the most decorated fighter pilots of World War II.