DETROIT – The Detroit Police Department is investigating an apparent theft of a recently installed statue in Rouge Park honoring the late Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson, a Tuskegee Airman who flew missions in World War II.
Officials say Jefferson survived being a German prisoner of war and returned home to become a beloved school teacher.
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The life-size statue was unveiled in early June in Rouge Park, near Joy Road and Spinoza Drive, where Jefferson flew model airplanes as a child.
Residents reported seeing the statue in its proper place on Tuesday (Oct. 22), but the first report of it being missing was made Wednesday night.
Officials said they believe the statue was removed overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday.
Jefferson’s flying unit, called Red Tails for the colors on their plane tails, escorted bombers into action in Europe and lost so few planes that bombers requested them for flying runs.
The Tuskegee Airman was shot down and kept as a POW before being released and returning to Detroit, where he had a stellar career as a teacher and vice principal.
Jefferson also helped found a Tuskegee Airman chapter of former pilots in Detroit.
The Office of Arts, Culture, and Entrepreneurship unveiled the statue and dedicated the plaza on the field bearing Jefferson’s name, where he later flew model airplanes.
The statue was made possible by the generous support of Cynthia and Edsel Ford and the Henry Ford II Fund in partnership with Detroit’s Office of Arts, Culture & Entrepreneurship (ACE).
Detroit installed the statue to honor the forgotten soldiers who helped win World War II.
Jefferson and the Tuskegee Airmen overcame segregation and prejudice to become one of World War II’s most highly respected fighter groups.
They set the stage for civil rights advocates to continue the struggle to end racial discrimination during the Civil Rights Movement.
The field, already named for Jefferson, is currently used and maintained by the Detroit Aero Modelers to fly model airplanes.
The statue was created by noted sculptor Austen Brantley, a self-taught figurative sculptor from Detroit whose work lives at the intersection of African and Greek cultures.
He has said his art is inspired by African and classical art and wants to continue the traditions of the Harlem Renaissance.
He was chosen after an open call by a community panel of architects, artists, and historians.
Anyone with information about the statue is asked to contact the Detroit Police Department’s 6th Precinct at 313-596-5640, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak-Up, or DetroitRewards.tv.
