Jeremy Turner
ATL 125/010
Dr. Manista
12-05-2001
A Tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen
Throughout the earlier years our country’s heritage includes the contributions of
more than 13,000 African Americans who have come to be known as the Tuskegee
Airmen. Mills, a historian expressed how “the success of the Black World War II Army
Air Corps Squadron paved the way for the integration of what ultimately became the Air
Force. The members of the squadron felt the great sting of this paradox despite the
handicap of racial segregation and the denial of basic rights granted to all Americans
under the Constitution. These young black men became mathematicians, scientists, and
engineers of the most sophisticated aircraft of the world. World War II was said to have
changed the face of America’s armed forces as African American men and women
participated in liberating the world from the rise of tyranny and fascism.” (Mills p. 4)
Although other important topics arose in this time period, Blacks as well as Whites
proved how strong they were as one nation for all. The history of these courageous black
pilots known as the “Tuskegee Experience” was a unique and extremely important part in
the history of our country for black citizens and for the nation as a whole along with the
untrue statement of Blacks being inferior to Whites.
Turner 2
From America’s earliest military history, blacks have been involved in all wars
declared and undeclared and oftentimes they were not given full credit or recognition for
the services that they rendered. In most cases when they served in the country, they were
isolated to all Black-units. With total redemption when the U.S. officially entered World
War II, Black leaders and the Black press increased their protest of the separate and
significantly inferior access to training, facilities and participation that was available to
Blacks. While faced with the realities of war, the Federal Government reluctantly
established “The 66th Air Force Flying School At The Tuskegee Institute.” Blacks were
said to consider this a flawed compromise but welcomed the opportunity to prove their
ability and commitment to the efforts of war.
Tuskegee was chosen for the military aviation program because the Tuskegee
Institute already had a civilian pilot training program in place. None-the-less, this meant
Blacks would be isolated on all Black training facilities and to make this totally official in
early 1941 a contract was signed and the 66th Air Force Contract Flying School at the
Tuskegee Institute was established to provide the primary training for all Black cadets.
Mills, then stated that “the continued rejection and segregation of Black men who applied
to the Air Corps led to lawsuits supported by the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People also known as the NAACP, although the NAACP
rejected the policy of segregation they encouraged men who applied to request their
Turner 3
training in a facility closest to their home.”(Mills p.4) These Black pilots wanted to be
together, but understood the importance of breaking this racial barrier.
In 1939, mobilization pressures on the Roosevelt administration and Congress led
to the passage of Public Law 18, then the Civilian Pilot Training Act. This Act,
Sponsored by the Aeronautics Authority, established the Civilian Pilot Training Program
also known as the (CPTP), which was a created reserve of civilian pilots to be called in
the event of a war emergency. Mills also expressed how “it was out of this program that
six segregated CPTP centers were established at African-American colleges in the
South.” (Mills p. 4) The focal point of this part of the program became Tuskegee,
Alabama, where pilot training centers were created at Moton Field and Tuskegee Army
Airfield also known as the Tuskegee Airmen Airfield also known as the (TAAF). Scott
another historian of this event said that “because of this in particular incident, the term
“The Tuskegee Experiment” was adopted and characterized the period of 1939 to 1949.”
(Scott p. 139)
Forty-four classes were conducted in Tuskegee from 1942 to 1946. Each one
averaged about 21 students per class. It took over 36 weeks of training to make the
transition from aviation cadet to certified military pilot. In the basic flying training
courses, aviation cadets flew the BT-13. In the Advanced flying training courses the
fighter cadets flew the AT-6 and bomber cadets flew the AT-10.
Turner 4
During the earlier years the TAAF commander was the director of the Tuskegee
Army Flying School. White officers voluntarily staffed all flight instructor billets and key
TAAF positions. The Tuskegee Airmen who returned from combat were placed in basic,
advanced and combat instructor positions and all of the non-flying personnel who needed
the ground, technical and administrative skills were required to operate on the Army Air
corps Field and were trained at Army posts, Army Air Corps bases, civilian facilities or
educational institutions throughout the United States.
Scott stated how “After the CPTP had been established, but before the first class
had started, these airmen made history when Eleanor Roosevelt took a flight with Charles
A. “Chief” Anderson who was the Chief Pilot at Tuskegee. Lt. General Benjamin O.
Davis, Jr., USAF (Retired), who was the first African American to the rank of brigadier
general, graduated from the very first class, 42-C, on March 1, 1942. Lt. General Davis
went on to command the all-African-American 99th Fighter Squadron also known as the
(FS) and the 332 Fighter Group also known as the (FG) overseas.” (Scott p. 227)
Despite the challenges, the most exciting squadron, 99th Squadron was activated on
March 21, 1941. Francis stated that, “The Squadron was expected to consist of 33 pilots
and 27 aircrafts and the total of 278 men expected to receive training at the institute in a
range of complementary roles including mechanics, weather specialist and technical
Turner 5
clerks.” (Francis p.137) The training officially began on July 19, 1941 and the group
received their first flight instruction on August 25, 1941.
Although these pioneers endured separate and unequal facilities as far as an
incomplete airfield, crowded instruction rooms, etc. The first graduating class of the
Tuskegee pilots took place on March 7, 1942. The five Army Air Corps Pilots were CPT
Benjamin O. Davis Jr., District of Columbia; Lemuel R. Curtis, Connecticut; Charles
Debow jr., Indiana; George S. Roberts, West Virginia; Mac Ross, Ohio.
Racial prejudice contributed to the belief among many in the medical community
that Blacks were biologically inferior to Whites. Syphilis reached epidemic portions in
the Black communities in the rural South. Mills stated “some Blacks in the medical
community believed that by complying with the study, which was known as “The
Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male,” they could help to change the
racist view that Blacks were biologically inferior.”(Mills p.6) Government officials,
alarmed by the growing of the epidemic funded a treatment program at Tuskegee
Hospital, The only Black hospital in the south at the time. They reasoned if Blacks
responded to the disease identically to Whites, the evidence would dispel the racist theory
of inferiority. Then when the funding decreased, doctors withheld treatment from the
group of Black men infected with syphilis in order to study the fatal course of the disease.
Turner 6
While complying these decision among themselves the doctors never informed the Black
patients of what they were doing. Many in the medical community also felt the study
would prove that Black nurses and doctors were just as good as White nurses and doctors.
Their success contributed to the reputation they earned among their opponents and
fellow servicemen. Scott stated how “The Germans, who both feared and respected them,
called them the “Schwarze Vogelmenschen” (Black Birdmen). White American bomber
crews reverently referred to them as “The Redtail Angels” because of the identifying red
paint on their tail assemblies and their reputation for miraculously not losing a single
bomber to enemy fighters during escort missions over strategic targets in Europe. The
number of unit citations they received for both the pilots and their service support units
reinforced this record and of the 450overseas pilots, approximately 150 received the
Distinguished Flying Across.”(Scott p.333)
During the war the Tuskegee Airmen faced the contradiction between fighting for
democracy overseas and being denied civil rights at home. These pilots made their
advances during one of the most difficult times for blacks in our nations history, their
hard work and devotion to America and to the idea that it stands for freedom for all
continues today. There are Tuskegee Airmen Chapters all over the United States and a
national scholarship foundation for deserving young Americans.
Turner 7
Simply because of the effect that these unbelievable Black men and women have
had on the American society; people of all races have shown their appreciation for what
these people have done by giving tremendous uplifting “Thank You” speeches and
holding important events in their behalf to help educate our young Black people on what
their ancestors went through to get us to where we are today and to let them know that we
really appreciate them for what they have done for not only Black people, but the people
of the United States.
In conclusion, the Tuskegee Airmen were pioneers that had the dedication and the
love for their country to overcome these obstacles and make a difference in America. The
contributions of these men in our military history, has become the piece to the puzzle that
holds this nation together. Each of these men in their own way were said to have kept the
doors open for Blacks as well as Whites to follow in complete greatness with their heads
held high. These men are said to be examples of dedication, determination and desire for
their country, because they have made huge differences in their times ranging in places
from Tuskegee, Alabama, to Selfridge, Michigan to North Africa To Italy and continues
to make a difference today in ways that few people could imagine.
Works Cited
The Tuskegee Airmen “The Men Who Changed The Nation”
Francis, Charles E.
Branden Publication Co.
Boston, Ma.1988
Lexis Nexis: Mills, William G. “The Tuskegee Experience”
Copyright U.S. Department of the Air Force, Office of Safety
Combat Edge; Langley AFB, Va. Feb. 2001: 2-8
Nov. 29 2001
Double V “The Civil Rights Struggle Of The Tuskegee Airmen”
Scott, Lawrence P.
Michigan State University Press
East Lansing, Mi. 1994