In Class questions to aid discussion on Tuskegee Airmen. Please answer these
questions in the space provided while we discuss these topic in class over the
next two weeks.
STRUGGLE TOWARD EQUAL TREATMENT:
How was Abe Lincoln involved in the events that led to the creation of the 332nd
Fighter Group?
 Emancipation Proclamation, led to end of slavery. Allowed AfricanAmericans to serve in the union military thus establishing their effectiveness
as fighters despite commonly held misconceptions of that era.
What does the 13th amendment to The Constitution have to do with World War 2
aviators?
 13th Amendment formally established slavery as unconstitutional. Ushered in
the era of separate but equal which would eventually be the precedent
behind the all African-American 332nd Fighter Group.
What was Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) and how did it impact both civilian and military
life?
 Supreme court case that upheld separate but equal doctrine. Actually
harbored unequal and unethical treatment of African-Americans.
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt played an important role in the eventual desegregation
of the military. How did she affect this decision?
 First lady to Franklin Roosevelt. Firm believer in equality of all peoples.
Influenced her husband’s domestic policy to support equality and
desegregation. Famous story of her flying with a Tuskegee Airmen over
Alabama to the abject horror of her secret service agents. Huge public
relations actions supported, “Tuskegee Experiment”. Her influence
contributed to the passing of Public Law 18 in 1939 which required the Army
Air Corps to create an African American Flying unit (this unit eventually
became the 332nd).
Who was Benjamin O Davis Jr. What role did he play in the story of the Tuskegee
Airmen?
 Graduate of West Point, graduated in the first class from Tuskegee Airfield,
First commander of the 332nd. Would fight for equal treatment of his airmen.
He was the first African-American general in the Air Force. He also fought for
and won recognition of his group’s excellence before congress and paved the
way for the 332nd to be given the bomber escort role.
What is meant by the “double victory” that our citizens hoped to achieve?
 Double victory was the concept that the African-American military service
members could win a victory over the Nazi’s and Japanese forces and then
bolstered by their excellent service record could defeat racism back in the
United States.
What is executive order 9981, issued by President Truman, in 1948 and how did it
impact the struggle for equal treatment?
 Executive order 9981 was an order to formally desegregate the military. It
was issued by Truman and implemented in theory but the process was slow
and there was marked resistance to the integrative efforts.
How long did it take for the different services to fully integrate?
 Racial integration of the military was achieved in 1963 when the military
formally staffed and funded the equal opportunity office. This office was
responsible for ensuring that all units gave equal opportunities to all service
members and it was actually equipped to achieve that goal.
How fast did the military integrated compare to the civilian world? Why do you
think there was a discrepancy?
 Military integrated faster than the civilian world primarily because of the
rigid hierarchal structure of the military. People follow orders because it is
their duty so once the orders allowed for equality the line was quick to
accept and integrate. There are lots of other thoughts on this to include the
“band of brothers” ethos and the core values which you will have to research
on your own.
What was Brown v Board of Education (1954) and was that the end of Racism?
 Brown v Board of Education was a Supreme Court case that overturned
separate but equal and started the integrative process in the civilian world. It
is note that the civilian world was 6 years behind the military world in
starting the process.
MILITARY EQUIPMENT:
What types of aircraft did the 332nd Fighter Group operate? Please describe a few
significant characteristics of each.
 P-40, P-47, P-51 – So much research/facts presented in class, If you want
additional information please research on your own.
What type of aircraft did the Luftwaffe operate against the 332nd Fighter Group?
Please describe a few significant characteristics of each.
 BF-109, FW-190, ME-262 – So much research/facts presented in class, If you
want additional information please research on your own.
What types of bombers did the 332nd Fighter Group escort? Please describe a few
significant characteristics of each.
 B-17 and B-24 So much research/facts presented in class, If you want
additional information please research on your own.
THE 332nd FIGHTER GROUP:
Where were they stationed and why did they move so much when they were
stateside?
 Tuskegee, Alabama.
Where were they stationed overseas?
 Then Tunisia, North Africa. Then Ramitelli, Italy
What types of medals did the pilots receive?
 The Air Medal, The Distinguished Flying Cross, The Bronze Star, The Purple
Heart.
What was significant about the Berlin Raid? How do the actions of the pilots that
participated reflect the best of humanity?
 It was one of the longest air missions in the European Theater of Operations.
It was the first time the 15th AF bombed Berlin. It was the first time the
Tuskegee airmen encountered the ME-262 Jet Fighter. They shot down 5 of
those jet fighters in one day, which is incredible.
How was the 332nd recognized for their achievements in the Berlin Raid?
 The entire unit was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation.
How many Tuskegee Airmen flew in combat in World War 2? What was their victory
to loss ratio? How did that ratio compare to the rest of the U.S.A.A.C.?
 There were 1000 total Tuskegee Airmen, of which 450 flew overseas in
combat. They destroyed 262 enemy aircraft while only losing 68 of their
own. Compared to the rest of the USAAC which shot down 40,000 at the cost
of 38,000. They significantly outperformed comparable fighter groups.
SPACE FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION: