Black veterans whose service was long overlooked took center stage in Wilmington, North Carolina, on Saturday as the city marked its fifth annual Salute to African American Veterans.

The event filled the Hannah Block Historic USO Building downtown on the same day the city held its Veterans Day parade. Dozens attended, among them Black veterans and the families of servicemen who have passed away.

Each year the salute focuses on a different era. Last year it honored men who served in World War I. This year it turned to Wilmington-area veterans of World War II.

Stories brought back to light

Historian Tim Pinnick shared his research on local servicemen. One was Percy Heath, who finished Williston High School in 1940 and trained with the famed Tuskegee Airmen in the war. Heath never flew in combat. He later became a celebrated jazz bassist.

Pinnick said records show well over 1,000 Black veterans from the Wilmington area. Many answered the call to defend freedom abroad only to return to the same racism they had fought against, especially in the South.

Pinnick told the gathering that these men were undervalued once they got home. He said events like the salute keep their stories from being lost.

Banners for the city's streets

Families took turns sharing the histories of loved ones who served. To close the program organizers revealed three new banners saluting Black veterans that should go up around downtown Wilmington next year.

The tribute landed just ahead of Veterans Day on Wednesday. Tuesday also marks another anniversary of the 1898 racial massacre and coup that overthrew Wilmington's elected government.