The Tuskegee Airmen

Although a rigid pattern of racial segregation prevailed in the United States during World War II, nearly 1,000 Black military aviators were trained at an isolated complex near the town of Tuskegee, Alabama, and at Tuskegee Institute. As a result of this “Tuskegee Experiment” 450 Black fighter pilots under the command of Col. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. fought in the aerial war over North Africa, Sicily, and Europe. These gallant men flew 15,553 sorties, completing 1,578 missions with the 12th Tactical, and the 15th Strategic U.S. Army Air Force. Col. Davis later became the first Black general in the U.S. Air Force and rose to the rank of Lt. General.
Known as the Schwartze Vogelmenshen (Black Birdmen) by the Germans who both feared and respected them, they were also known as the `Red Tail Angels' by white bomber crews because of their red paint on their tail assemblies and their reputation for not losing bombers to enemy fighters as they provided fighter escort over strategic targets in Europe. The 99th Fighter Squadron then merged with three other Black squadrons: the 100th; the 301st, and; the 302nd to form the 332nd Fighter Group, comprising the largest fighter unit in the 15th Air Force. From Italian bases they also destroyed enemy rail traffic, coastal surveillance stations, and hundreds of vehicles on air-to-ground strafing missions. Sixty-six of these pilots were killed in aerial combat while another thirty-two were either forced down or shot down and captured as prisoners of war. The Airmen returned home with over 150 decorations including the Distinguished Flying Cross, Legion of Merit, and the Red Star of Yugoslavia. For every Black pilot there were ten other civilian or military Black men and women on ground support duty. Many of them remained in the military during the post-World War II era and spearheaded the integration of the armed services with the integration into the U.S. Air Force in 1949. Thus the “Tuskegee Experiment” achieved success rather than the expected failure. Three of these pioneers rose to flag rank: the late General Daniel “Chappie” James, our nation's first Black Four-star General; Lt. General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., and Major General Lucius Theus. Three Tuskegee Airmen, retired USAF Colonels, flew combat missions as fighter pilots in WW II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Three others flew combat in Vietnam in other type aircraft and retired as Lieutenant Colonels. Many of them returned to civilian life and earned positions of leadership and respect in all walks of life.