Longtime Spa City Resident, Tuskegee Airman Clarence Dart Celebration Feb. 20

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Longtime local resident and Tuskegee Airman Clarence Dart will be celebrated by daughter Cynthia Providence in a Saratoga Springs Preservation program on Thursday, Feb. 20.

Dart, who died in 2012 at the age of 91, flew 95 missions overseas during World War II. Twice, he survived being shot down by the enemy. 

The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of African American military pilots and support personnel who served during World War II. Trained at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama, they were part of the U.S. Army Air Corps, which later became the U.S. Air Force. 

The accomplishments of the Tuskegee Airmen are credited with influencing President Harry Truman to officially desegregate the U.S. military in 1948. It was the same year Dart relocated to Saratoga Springs. He married his wife, Mildred, in June 1950 and the couple raised their family of seven daughters and two sons in the Spa City. 

For his service Dart received two Purple Hearts for injuries sustained during air combat, the Air Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, the WWII Victory Medal, and the American Defense Medal, the NYS Conspicuous Service Cross, and the NYS Conspicuous Service Star.

While he fought for President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four freedoms, when Dart returned home from the war there was no heroic welcome, and no job that was available to him to fulfill his dream of being a commercial airplane pilot.

It took more than 60 years for recognition to come. In 2007, Dart was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal, alongside other Tuskegee Airmen in the Capitol Rotunda.  

Providence will share her perspective on her father’s remarkable achievements, personal journey, and the challenges he faced within a unit that, while highly esteemed today, may not have been fully valued at the time. She will also reflect on the lasting impact of his legacy on future generations. 

The virtual program – “Tuskegee Airmen: Lt. Col. Clarence Dart” – will be hosted via Zoom for a donation of $10 or more, at 7 p.m. on Feb. 20.  To register, visit www.saratogapreservation.org or call 518-587-5030. All registrants will receive a Zoom link in advance, as well as access to the program recording.