A huge part of our country, and our state’s history, was honored this week in Washington D.C.

Three Tuskegee Airmen were honored in a ceremony Wednesday recognizing the official induction of a PT-17 Stearman aircraft into the collection of the National Museum of the United States Air Force at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. Many of the Tuskegee Airmen trained using the model, which was given to the Air Force by the American Heritage Museum in Massachusetts. The historic plane was on display during the event at Joint Base Andrews.

“As I progressed throughout my career, I’ve learned more and more about the Tuskegee Airmen and grown to appreciate their profound accomplishments,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., the nation’s first African American military service chief.

The Tuskegee Airmen were the country’s first African American military pilots and flew combat missions during World War II. The legendary airmen, which included support staff, are widely regarded as one of the Air Force’s finest.

Tuskegee Airmen Lt. Col. Shelton Ivan Ware, Col. Carl C. Johnson and William T. Fauntroy Jr. were the ceremony’s celebrated guests.

Ware, who said he repaired vehicles and weapons during the war, told ABC News “at 99 as I approach the end of it all, it’s good to be able to see what all this was about.”

“We didn’t do anything special. It was a thousand other people doing the same thing — not because we thought it was important, but because our country asked us to do it,” he said. “And we were glad to be a part of the service that went forth and represent the United States of America.”

We thank these great men for their service! Their legacy will live on at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Ohio.

Read more from ABC News here.