Officials at the Washington State History Museum in downtown Tacoma have been wanting to host exhibits that appeal to military members and veterans for quite some time now.

So when the chance to present an exhibit from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum came along, officials jumped on it.

"Black Wings: American Dreams of Flight" examines the contributions of African American aviators from the past and present who helped make the dream of careers in flight and space exploration possible.

The exhibition opened Oct. 15 at the museum and will be on view thru Jan. 16.

"It's an interesting and important show that has a lot of good stories to tell," said Redmond Barnett, head of exhibits at the museum.

Three of the many figures presented in the exhibition are Bessie Coleman, the first African American woman to obtain her pilot's license; aviator William J. Powell who led an ambitious program to promote aviation in the African American community; and astronaut Dr. Bernard Harris, the first African American to walk in space.

Divided into six sections, "Black Wings" chronicles the evolution of aviation through the stories of African Americans who dreamed of flight, left their mark and helped pave the way for those who would follow. Other aviators whose contributions are explored include the Tuskegee Airmen - the first military division of African American pilots who fought in World War II - and Mae Jemison, the first African American woman to fly in space.

"It's fundamentally a story about people who were pioneers," Barnett said.  "After being told that they were grounded because of their race, these special individuals decided that the sky imposed no limits. By demanding the chance to fly, they also opened doors for many others, including women, who dreamed of taking flight."

The exhibition is based on the book Black Wings: Courageous Stories of African Americans in Aviation and Space History (HarperCollins, 2008) written by exhibition curator Von Hardesty of the National Air and Space Museum.

During the course of the exhibition's three-month run, the Washington State History Museum will host a few special events as well, including offering free admission to all active military, veterans and their families on Veterans Day, and a special presentation that features the astronaut Dr. Bernard Harris, the first African American to walk in space, the moon rock from the 1972 Apollo XVII mission, and actors portraying local African American aviators on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 16

The museum will also honor veterans on Veteran's Day by reading aloud a series of recollections written by or about military service members past and present. Members of the public are invited to recount, in 500 words or less, a personal experience related to the American armed forces or a memory of someone who is or was in military service. The deadline for submissions is Nov.1.

A submission should indicate whether the museum staff has permission to post the story in the museum and read it aloud.

Submissions can be emailed to socialmedia@wshs.wa.gov.

The exhibition is open to the public at a cost of $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and $6 for students and military. Children 5 years of age and under are admitted free.

Show hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday thru Sunday (museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays). The third Thursday of each month, the museum is open until 8 p.m. with free admission from 2 p.m. to closing.