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The Color of Heroes - The Story of the Tuskegee Airmen
By Toni Lee Robinson
In 1940, the U.S. Congress went toe to toe with the War Department. At issue
was a long-standing military policy—racism. At the time, the color barrier in
the U.S. military was a dense, insurmountable wall. African Americans had
been allowed to serve only in support roles in World War I, as laborers, cooks
and the like. The NAACP and other groups were pushing for better
opportunities for black people. As World War II loomed, the military was under
pressure to allow blacks into combat roles, even into the elite brotherhood of
fighter pilots.
The War Department was strongly opposed to the change. Some even
maintained that blacks lacked the intelligence or character to fly combat missions. In the end, the Army Air Corps
was directed to test the idea of a unit of all-black fighter pilots. In June, 1941, the "Tuskegee Experiment" was
launched. The 99th Pursuit Squadron was created at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. This school, founded by
Booker T. Washington, was one of the few centers of higher education for African Americans. Training black
pilots there would uphold the "separate but equal" policy in vogue at the time.
Candidates for the 99th had to meet the same high standards as any flight cadet. At the end of the first nine-month
course, five cadets graduated as full-fledged fighter pilots in the U.S. Army Air Corps. One of them, West Point
graduate Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. became captain of the squad. A full support staff, from mechanics to clerks, had
also been trained. The unit was placed under the command of Colonel Noel Parrish, a white man who could see
past the color barrier. Still, those in power balked at giving blacks a combat role. Parrish pushed Congress to allow
the 99th to fulfill its destiny in combat. Finally, the squadron was sent into battle.
Now the warriors of the 99th had two enemies-the Nazis and the old foe-bigotry. One of their first assignments
was with the 33rd Fighter Group, Col. William Momyer commanding. Momyer ignored the black pilots, holding
briefings without them, and then wrote a report critical of the squadron. Determined to prove themselves, the men
of the 99th worked all the harder. A later partnership placed the black squadron with the 79th Fighter Group under
Col. Earl Bates. In this arena, the 99th was given full participation. The group flew up to five grueling
fighter-bomber missions a day. As they gained air time in the battles, the statistics of the black pilots became more
and more impressive.
Before long, many more pilots emerged from the Tuskegee program. Three new squadrons joined with the 99th to
form the 332nd Fighter Group, commanded by newly-promoted Colonel Benjamin Davis. The legacy of the black
pilots was shaped by their commander's values. Davis taught his pilots to work for the good of the group rather
than for personal glory. His pilots had standing orders to stay with the bombers rather than pursue enemy fighters.
The team policy meant far fewer displays of individual skill and daring in dogfights with German fighters, and far
fewer "kills" for the group. As a result, none of the Tuskegee pilots were "aces" (credited with downing five or
more enemy aircraft). Instead, they accomplished an even more remarkable feat-as fighter escorts, they never lost a
bomber entrusted to their care.
The group's planes had distinctive red-painted tails, causing them to be dubbed "the Redtail Angels" by the
grateful bomber pilots they guarded. Bomber flights requested the company of the Redtails whenever possible. The
Germans called the 332nd "Schwarze Vogelmenschen," or Black Birdmen. The famed Luftwaffe (German air
force) fliers had great respect for the deadly skill and grit of the black pilots.
By war's end, the African American pilots had flown over 15,500 sorties and destroyed nearly 300 enemy aircraft.
One pilot managed the unusual feat of sinking an enemy destroyer, strafing it with his guns as it was docked at an
Italian port. Defying prejudice, the Redtails gained many official honors. The 99th had earned two Presidential
Unit Citations for outstanding tactical air support and aerial combat. The 332nd was awarded another Presidential
Citation for a bomber escort over Berlin in which eight of the enemy's prized ME 262 jet fighters were downed.
Hundreds of Air Medals and Flying Crosses, as well as several Purple Hearts and Bronze and Silver Stars, all
testified to the courage and abilities of the group.
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The achievements of the Tuskegee Airmen had a profound impact even beyond their boost to the war effort. Their
record of excellence challenged official bigotry. Demand for their skills caused President Truman to sign an order
in 1948 ending racial bias in the armed forces. A few years later, the light began to dawn in the nation as a whole.
Why should black Americans not be accorded the same rights as whites? Strongholds of segregation began to
crumble. Soon the civil rights of all races were legally recognized.
The Color of Heroes - The Story of the Tuskegee Airmen
Questions
1. Describe prevailing pre-WWII attitudes in the U.S. military toward African Americans.
2. The favored solution to the "racial problem" in the U.S. at the time of WWII could be summed up as:
A. Reinstitution of slavery
B. Total segregation
C. Total integration of blacks and whites
D. Separate but equal
3. Explain what the "Tuskegee Experiment" involved and why it was started.
4. The philosophy of Col. Ben Davis, commander of the 332nd, was:
A. "Just put in your time. Nobody cares anyway."
B. "Save yourself first-don't stick your neck out for these guys."
C. "Go for individual achievement-lots of "kills" will impress military leaders and make things easier for
us."
D. "Work for the good of the group rather than personal glory-stay with the bombers rather than pursue
enemy fighters."
5. What was the most compelling achievement of the Tuskegee Airmen? What other honors did they earn?
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6. How were the black pilots from Tuskegee received by other fighter units? By bomber pilots? Luftwaffe
pilots?
7. Racial segregation in the U.S. military officially ended:
A. When the Tuskegee pilots were sent into combat
B. When Truman instituted an order in 1948
C. In WWI
D. At the end of WWII
8. What career would you like to pursue? Imagine the law denies you the career you desire because of your
ethnic background. How would you feel? What would you do?
Discuss the roots of ethnic prejudice in America. Why do you think it has so long been a part of U.S. culture in
light of the nation's "melting pot" origins?
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Other forms of prejudice, some more subtle than race, direct the way we think about other people. They may
fall within the areas of looks, IQ, city lifestyle vs. rural, politics, wealth, etc. What biases do you see in yourself?
Where do they come from? How could you get rid of them?