Meet Tom Collis
(Scroll down for his audio story)
Content warning - Tom talks about issues of racism and conflict.
“Reggie…gave me my first insight into how things could be different than perhaps what I’d seen on TV...it was a different America.”
Tom Collis, now living in Birmingham, looks back at growing up in Mildenhall and Ipswich in the 1970s, surrounded by the presence of nearby US air bases. Now a mental health professional, musician and artist, he reflects on how those formative years in Suffolk shaped his outlook.
Through childhood friendships with the children of US airmen at his local primary school, he encountered Black American culture first-hand – far beyond what he had seen on TV. Tom links the influence of diverse US culture on Suffolk's music and art. Including musicians like Geno Washington, and Rod Stewart who'd perform with Black American airmen and other local musicians.
He also touches on his involvement in activism and his career in mental health, influenced by his experiences. Although not directly connected to African American culture, Tom also recounts the impact of the Mildenhall Air Shows on him, the fascination with US military might, and the mixed feelings about the US military presence in the UK.
Tom's story
Click here for the transcript.
Images of a young Tom at USAF airshows at RAF Mildenhall. They were exciting events for both local people and American service people.
 Tom Collis enjoying one of the many annual public airshows on RAF Mildenhall in the 1970s. |  A young Tom Collis at another airshow. |  Tom back on-base at another airshow! |
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