The Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen were the first group of black pilots and their support teams to ever fly for the U. S. Military. Before them, there were never any black pilots to fly especially in combat. The formation of the group did not come easy though. They had to petition the U. S. Government several times before they agreed to put them into service. The Tuskegee Program officially began in June 1941 with the 99th Squadron at Tuskegee University, Alabama. The unit consisted of 47 officers and 429 enlisted men, and was backed by an entire service arm. After training at “Moton Field”, they were moved to nearby Tuskegee Army air field. The Tuskegee Airmen were training to fly during World War II. They joined
the war on May 31, 1943. They flew their first mission attached to the 33rd Fighter Group in Tunisia. Their main mission was to escort bombers, and quickly earned a reputation for always being at the right place, at the right time. The group continued flying and fighting until the end of the war in Europe in May 1945. They were affectionately known by the U. S. allies as the “Red Tails” or “Red Tail Angels”. This was because the tail of their aircraft was painted red. The success of the Tuskegee Experiment influenced the eventual desegregation of the U. S. Military by President Harry S. Truman in 1948. The group was awarded numerous honors and medals. On March 29, 2007, the group was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, which is currently on display at the Smithsonian Institute. If you would like to visit and learn more about the Tuskegee Airmen, there is a museum in Tuskegee, Alabama, and the airfield they trained at is now the Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Site.
The Tuskegee Airmen were the first group of black pilots and their support teams to ever fly for the U. S. Military. Before them, there were never any black pilots to fly especially in combat. The formation of the group did not come easy though. They had to petition the U. S. Government several times before they agreed to put them into service. The Tuskegee Program officially began in June 1941 with the 99th Squadron at Tuskegee University, Alabama. The unit consisted of 47 officers and 429 enlisted men, and was backed by an entire service arm. After training at “Moton Field”, they were moved to nearby Tuskegee Army air field. The Tuskegee Airmen were training to fly during World War II. They joined
the war on May 31, 1943. They flew their first mission attached to the 33rd Fighter Group in Tunisia. Their main mission was to escort bombers, and quickly earned a reputation for always being at the right place, at the right time. The group continued flying and fighting until the end of the war in Europe in May 1945. They were affectionately known by the U. S. allies as the “Red Tails” or “Red Tail Angels”. This was because the tail of their aircraft was painted red. The success of the Tuskegee Experiment influenced the eventual desegregation of the U. S. Military by President Harry S. Truman in 1948. The group was awarded numerous honors and medals. On March 29, 2007, the group was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, which is currently on display at the Smithsonian Institute. If you would like to visit and learn more about the Tuskegee Airmen, there is a museum in Tuskegee, Alabama, and the airfield they trained at is now the Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Site.