By. Griffin Weaver The Tuskegee airmen were the first all-African American fighter pilot squadron. At that time the Army had already allowed black soldiers into their ranks. This would be another step forward to try to end segregation in the United States armed services. In closing this essay will show what the Tuskegee airmen did in World War II and how they help end segregation in the armed services. The birth of the Tuskegee airmen was started by the war department due to pressure to create the first all-African American fighter squadron. The 99th pursuit squadron would be the answers to the war department and was started in 1941. On March 1941 the squad was activated in Chanute Illinois. 429 enlisters would be stationed at Tuskegee even though there would only be two squads trained. Five months after the program started the first lady Eleanor Roosevelt while inspecting the base received a flight from Alfred “chief” Anderson she did this to try and show the world not to be prejudice. When she touched down she said “well you can fly all right.” After that she would donate 175,000 dollars to the program. On March 1941 the squad was activated in Chanute Illinois. This is that this was the beginning of all of their successes in their endeavors. The Tuskegee airmen unit was finally ready for activated and shipped out on April 2, 1943. It was bound for North Africa it would join up with the 33rd fighter group and be under the command of Colonel William W. Momyer. Their first combat mission was to attack the volcano island of Pantelleria in the Mediterranean. This would clear the sea lanes for the attack on Sicily. The 99th flew its first combat mission on June 2, 1943 this would be 3 days after the battle had begun. With help from their air raid the garrison of 11,121 Italians and 789 Germans were captured. Because of this battle the squad would be given the distinguished unit citation. The 332nd joined the war in February 1944 and the 99th
By. Griffin Weaver The Tuskegee airmen were the first all-African American fighter pilot squadron. At that time the Army had already allowed black soldiers into their ranks. This would be another step forward to try to end segregation in the United States armed services. In closing this essay will show what the Tuskegee airmen did in World War II and how they help end segregation in the armed services. The birth of the Tuskegee airmen was started by the war department due to pressure to create the first all-African American fighter squadron. The 99th pursuit squadron would be the answers to the war department and was started in 1941. On March 1941 the squad was activated in Chanute Illinois. 429 enlisters would be stationed at Tuskegee even though there would only be two squads trained. Five months after the program started the first lady Eleanor Roosevelt while inspecting the base received a flight from Alfred “chief” Anderson she did this to try and show the world not to be prejudice. When she touched down she said “well you can fly all right.” After that she would donate 175,000 dollars to the program. On March 1941 the squad was activated in Chanute Illinois. This is that this was the beginning of all of their successes in their endeavors. The Tuskegee airmen unit was finally ready for activated and shipped out on April 2, 1943. It was bound for North Africa it would join up with the 33rd fighter group and be under the command of Colonel William W. Momyer. Their first combat mission was to attack the volcano island of Pantelleria in the Mediterranean. This would clear the sea lanes for the attack on Sicily. The 99th flew its first combat mission on June 2, 1943 this would be 3 days after the battle had begun. With help from their air raid the garrison of 11,121 Italians and 789 Germans were captured. Because of this battle the squad would be given the distinguished unit citation. The 332nd joined the war in February 1944 and the 99th