Summary
In 1941, the U.S. Congress drafted legislation mandating the U.S. Military to form an all-Black combat unit. The Defense Department was reluctant and with good justification: the treatment that White society - sanctioned and institutionalized by the government - meted out to Blacks was so repugnant that the government asked the question, "what if?" relative to arming "its" Black citizens. The reality was Black men wanted to become soldiers to serve "their" country, even if the country did not serve them. Thus was born the Tuskegee Airmen.
In the spring of 1944, more combat ready troops came out of Tuskegee and joined the 332nd Fighter Group in Italy still under the command of Colonel Davis. They escorted bombing raids into Austria, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Hungary and Poland, They earned an enviable reputation and were referred to by the Germans as "Schwarze Vogelmenschen," Black Birdmea; the Allies called them "Redtails" named from the distinctive reddish paint of their aircrafts. Some of the pilots were in that operation was Lt. Dempsey W. Morgan, Lt. Carroli S. Woods, Lt. Robert H. Nelson, Jr., Capt. Andrew D. Turner and Lt. Clarence P. Lester. After they returned to the U.S., they became part of the 477th Bombardment Group, redesignated as the 477th Composite Group.Finally, a movie, "The Tuskegee Airmen," was made starring Laurence Fishburne and another, to be titled "Redtails," is presently being developed and will star Samuel L. Jackson, who is also scheduled to be the director.The reality was Black men wanted to become soldiers to serve "their" country, even if the country did not serve them. [...] was born the Tuskegee Airmen.See the full content of this document
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Tuskegee Airmen (Continued)
SOME OF THE NAMED AIRMEN
When the name Tuskegee is mentioned, it evokes many different emotions in Black people: the institute that was founded by Booker T. Washington; the syphilis experiment that was conducted on Black people by the U.S. government; and the group of fearless airmen that selflessly defended their country while flying the unfriendly skies for United (States).When Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States of America, over 180 Tuskegee Airmen were there to witness the event. They were not sure it would have happened in their lifetime but they knew th...See the full content of this document
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