BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. (October 6, 2023) – The National Cold War Center (NCWC) will host the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Rise Above exhibit, which features the stories of the Tuskegee Airmen and Women Airforce Service Pilots during World War II, Nov. 1-4, 2023.
The exhibit details uniquely American stories on the worldwide conflict that saw the United States and the Soviet Union emerge as the world’s leading superpowers, setting the stage for the Cold War.
CAF’s Rise Above exhibit includes a mobile movie theater featuring two original short films detailing the obstacles that the Tuskegee Airmen and Women Airforce Service Pilots overcame in flying — and fighting — for their country.
The immersive experience takes place within a 53-foot trailer that accommodates 30-40 visitors each showing and features a 160-degree panoramic screen that, according to CAF, “creates the feeling of being in the cockpit soaring above the clouds.”
“The National Cold War Center is excited to welcome the Rise Above exhibit this fall,” Joseph Alley, NCWC Exhibition Manager and Coordinator. “The Tuskegee Airmen and Women Airforce Service Pilots overcame discrimination to put their lives on the line for their country. It is hard to imagine more courageous individuals than these great Americans.”
Admission to the Rise Above exhibit is free. The exhibit will be set up next to the Blytheville Air Force Base (BAFB) Exhibition located at 3711 Idaho Street in Blytheville. In addition to the films, the exhibit will also feature a P-31 Mustang aircraft.
The National Cold War Center is located on the campus of the former BAFB (originally known as the Blytheville Army Airfield), which opened in 1942 as a training facility for World War II pilots. In 1958, the base was converted to a Strategic Air Command alert mission and remained a key U.S. military command for three decades – through events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and the signing of the treaties that officially ended the Cold War in the early 1990s.
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