i'm deputy director carrie coogan. we're so happy you're here tonight. i want to let you know tonight is our final program for 2017. can you believe it? it's kind of bittersweet. anyway, if you're new here, if you've never been before, please pick up our program. you can sign up, and you can be on our list for all of the programs we have coming up in 2018. we have programs both here and at central library two or three times a week, and we'd love to have you come and we'd love to have you sign up. and we'd love to have you bring your friends. so, please sign up. tonight, we're so honored to have james shipley with us. mr. shipley enlisted at just 19-years-old and would become a member of the 332nd fighter group and one of the original tuskegee airmen. [applause] i want to especially thank the heart of america chapter of the tuskegee airmen for making this program possible tonight. thank you for all of your service all of these years. we really appreciate you as well. thank you. [applause] tonight, with mr. shipley is author jeremy paul amick, and they wil