Stafford County will hold its Memorial Day ceremony at the Stafford Regional Airport on May 22, featuring a mobile history unit and a vintage airplane. The event will include the Rise Above exhibit, which tells the story of the Tuskegee Airmen and Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) through a mobile theater and interpretive displays. Chris Allen, Director of the Commemorative Air Force Rise Above Squadron’s Traveling Exhibit, will be the keynote speaker alongside Stafford County Board of Supervisors Chairman Deuntay Diggs.
The ceremony aims to honor those who lost their lives in service to the country while also highlighting important but sometimes overlooked stories from World War II. “Memorial Day is when we honor and recognize those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country as well as their families,” said Chairman of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors Deuntay Diggs. “We are honored to have the opportunity to share the history of the Tuskegee Airmen and the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), many of whom made the ultimate sacrifice during World War II and were given limited recognition at the time.”
The Rise Above exhibit includes a 53-foot mobile movie theater showing two original short films about these groups, as well as a restored P-51C Mustang aircraft that was flown by Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. The display will be open daily from May 22 through May 25 between 10 am and 4 pm at Stafford Regional Airport, with special group viewings available upon request.
Education remains an important focus in Stafford County. During the 2023-24 school year, Stafford County Public Schools District enrolled approximately 31,700 students. Of these students, Brooke Point High School had an enrollment of 2,242 students, making it one of largest schools in terms of student body size within county limits.
Demographically, white students accounted for nearly two-fifths (38.9%) or about 12,332 students in local schools during this period; Hispanic students followed with roughly one-quarter (24.5%) or around 7,780 enrollees. Total enrollment increased by about 1.7% compared to last year’s numbers.
Early education is also notable: Rising Star Early Childhood Education Center at Melchers welcomed more than half—292 out of all pre-kindergarten children enrolled countywide, while Rocky Run Elementary School led kindergarten enrollments with approximately one-thirteenth (7.4%) or about148 children among all kindergartners locally.
The CAF RISE ABOVE Squadron continues its mission across communities nationwide by bringing these educational resources directly into classrooms and public spaces.
