Lindsay Loy wasn’t aware Longview was the birthplace to one of the famed Tuskegee Airmen until she started collecting information and pieces for a new exhibit at the Gregg County Historical Museum.
“I had just finished watching the ‘Masters of the Air’ series,” said Loy, the museum’s executive director. “So I thought that was really cool to learn.”
Buford A. Johnson was born in Longview in 1927 and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1945 where he served as the chief mechanic servicing the planes of the 99th Fighter Squadron, the first flying unit for Black Americans.
Johnson advanced to the rank of master sergeant and was one of the first Black service members allowed to work on U.S. fighters.
Loy said the idea for a aviation history display came after the success of a recent NASA exhibit.
“It went over so well that we wanted to do another STEM exhibit,” she said. “And we thought a flight exhibit would offer a chance for a lot of different activities.”
Loy said there are a number of special events planned to coincide with the exhibit, including Lunch with a Pilot days, an Excellence in Flight lecture series, STEM action days, a week-long Aviation Camp and a drone day.
The exhibit has information panels and aviation-related displays of aircraft engines, flight equipment, pilot uniforms, models and even an ejection seat from a fighter jet.
There is also a display of nose art created by local artists and students that will eventually be put on permanent display at the East Texas Regional Airport after the museum exhibit.
“Conquering the Skies: Evolution of Flight” will be on display until the end of August and contains pieces of aviation history on loan from the Historical Aviation Museum in Tyler, the Lone Star Flight Museum in Houston, the Arkansas Air and Military Museum as well as many area donors.
The Gregg County Historical Museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday from and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
For information, visit www.gregghistorical.org .
