The Tuskegee Airmen

The Tuskegee Airmen’s helped pave the way for African American rights, similar to other African American soldiers before them. Being the first African Americans to fly in the US Army Air Corps, the equivalent of the Air Force, the Airmen broke barriers for African American pilots. Before them, African Americans eager to fight in the war to participate by being pilots were undermined due to the belief that they were not smart enough to fly a plane. Due to the shortage of pilots, incoming war, and push by civil rights groups, FDR and the AAC allowed the training of black pilots. They used a small site located in Tuskegee Alabama, hence the name of the Airmen.

The pilots trained unlike what the stereotypes stated, were educated men, who mostly were college graduates or undergraduates. In WWII, one of the squadrons, specifically the 99th Pursuit Squadron, was first deployed to North Africa. The squadron’s poor, second-hand planes caused them to have little effect on the German planes alone. When they were moved to Italy, serving along with white pilots and new equipment, the 99th were proven to be a force to be reckoned with, despite the odds being against that. During the month of February 1944, 3 other squadrons from Tuskegee came joined the 99th in Italy and together made the 332nd Fighter Group. According to myth, the Airmen, during their 200 escort missions, never took a loss of a bomber. Their success helped pave the way for other black troops and pilots eager to partake in the war. 

The impact of the Tuskegee Airmen spread beyond just the military. Although they shot down a total of 273 German planes, their sacrifices for the country were acknowledged by a country who at the time, paid little attention to minorities serving the country. Despite this acknowledgment, the country still remained prejudice, with laws like Jim Crow still in place. In 1948, President Harry Truman passed an executive order which instituted equal opportunity in the armed forces. In all, the Tuskegee Airmen were able to overcome the societal stereotypes and show the country that in fact African Americans can fly planes, and fly them well. 

Sources:

https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/2016/06/03/luft-gangster-documentary-honors-the-tuskegee-airmen/

https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/tuskegee-airmen

https://www.military.com/history/the-tuskegee-airmen.html