Given a political commentator’s inexplicable recent comments about “black pilots,” now would seem as good a time as any to feature the Tuskegee Airmen in this edition of the Black History’s Heroes Series.
For those who may be unaware, the Tuskegee Airmen were the first black military airmen in the nation’s history. They were “dedicated, determined young men” who enlisted their services to become fighter pilots in World War II. Applicants and recruits were screened for competency, and those who “possessed the physical and mental qualifications and were accepted into the aviation program were trained initially to be pilots, and later to be either pilots, navigators or bombardiers.”
Unfortunately (and unfairly), like every black person who served in the military at the time, the Tuskegee Airmen had to overcome numerous obstacles stemming from racial bias. Despite this, these brave souls were willing to risk their lives and die in battle defending their country.
In the 1930s and early 1940s, military officials were against including black airmen because of biased and bigoted preconceived notions that black men would not be able to handle the circumstances required to be pilots and were inferior to do so. However, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt eventually pivoted from these stereotypes and overruled them. In 1938, FDR expanded what was then known as the civilian pilot training program to include black people. Two years later, in 1940, he declared that the Army Air Corps would accept and train black men as pilots.
The War Department chose Tuskegee University in Alabama for training and built an airfield there. Segregated from their white counterparts, nearly all of the participants in the program were college graduates who hailed from different areas throughout the country. As part of their training at Tuskegee, the recruits would be immersed in studies that focused on critical and necessary concepts, including navigation, mechanics, control tower operation, and piloting.
The Tuskegee program yielded close to 1,000 sorely needed pilots and approximately 14,000 other aviation personnel who were integral to the war effort. These roles included instructors, mechanics, navigators, maintenance staff, control tower operators, bombardiers, and other support staff.
“Nearly 1,000 fighter pilots trained as a segregated unit at an air base in Tuskegee, Alabama,” reads a website dedicated to the airmen from Tuskegee University. “Not allowed to practice or fight with their white counterparts, the Tuskegee Airmen distinguished themselves from the rest by painting the tails of their airplanes red, which led to them becoming known as the ‘Red Tails.’ Hundreds saw combat throughout Europe, the Mediterranean, and North Africa, escorting bomber aircraft on missions and protecting them from the enemy. Dozens died in the fighting; others were held as prisoners of war.”
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Some of the highlights of the service of the Tuskegee Airmen included the “all-black 332nd Fighter Group, consisted originally of four fighter squadrons, the 99th, the 100th, the 301st, and the 302nd.” Additionally, historical records show that in their roles as aviation escorting bombers, the Tuskegee Airmen had one of the “lowest loss records of all escort fighter groups.” Their service in World War II included more than 15,000 combat missions over Europe and North Africa, and they were an essential part of many aerial campaigns. The heroic exploits of the Tuskegee Airmen were recognized with 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, one of the highest honors possible.
The courage, bravery, and heroism of the Tuskegee Airmen go beyond their military feats. They fought in the air for the United States and to save the world from history’s most brutal empires, and they battled against racism and bigotry. Essentially fighting a war on two fronts, the Tuskegee Airmen’s accomplishments warrant the highest praise. Their legendary acts helped reshape the world and American society, and they were pioneers in integrating the country’s military.
