“On an airfield in Alabama, young men made history, but they did not stop there.  The next step was to make history over the World War II battlefields of Europe.

 

From 1942 to 1946, nearly one thousand African-American pilots were trained at the Tuskegee Institute.  Many more enlisted men trained at the Tuskegee Army Air Field and other locations around the country as navigators, bombardiers and gunners.  African Americans trained as repairmen, parachute riggers, engineers, meteorologists, and every other job necessary to staff an Army Air Corps support unit or flying squadron.  Women, too, joined the ranks of the program in several support fields.  The Tuskegee Institute offered unprecedented opportunities for Americans who were determined to serve our country.

 

Of the thousand pilots trained, nearly one half of them would see combat in World War II.

 

February is Black History Month, and as we reflect on the contributions of African-Americans to our nation 60 years after the end of World War II, these brave Americans stand out. 

 

The squadrons formed from the men from the Tuskegee Institute flew thousands of missions over Europe.  They flew air patrols and escorted bomber groups, and they saw combat.  Among the feats performed by the squadrons of the Tuskegee Airmen was a singular act of aerial gunnery, when one pilot singlehandedly sunk a German destroyer using only the 50-caliber machine guns of his aircraft.  He strafed the ship, creating an explosion that caused the ship to sink.

 

This was just one among many tales of personal heroism, recognitions for bravery, and special honors for service above and beyond the call of duty due to the African-American men who began their military careers at the Tuskegee Institute.

 

When the war ended, however, the Tuskegee Airmen came home to a nation that could not see the medals pinned to their uniforms because of the color of the skin beneath.  Racism, bigotry and segregation defined the return home of these brave veterans.  They were alienated from the nation they had served so well, and, in one of the saddest failings of our nation to her troops, the Tuskegee Airmen returned to a war at home.

 

Over time, the effect of the Tuskegee Airmen on our nation’s armed services has been profound.  As early as 1947, the U.S. Air Force initiated plans to integrate its ranks.  One year later, President Truman directed all of the armed forces to employ equality of treatment and opportunity in all of the U.S. armed forces.  His action led to the elimination of racial segregation in the American military.  Ultimately, all of these changes in the organization of the military spilled over in the form of positive changes in the social temperament of our American culture.

 

The Tuskegee Airmen defied the stereotypes of their era.  They showed their nation that they are as willing and as capable of honorable service as any other American.  And, finally, they demonstrated to the people of Europe that America’s commitment to freeing humans from the chains of fascism was thorough and diverse. 

 

When we take this month to reflect on the many contributions of African-Americans to our country, often under circumstances of grave adversity, we should take a moment to consider the Tuskegee Airmen.  It is no easy thing to be ready to lay down your life for your country.  The Tuskegee Airmen are a great lesson in patriotism because they were willing to sacrifice for America at a time when America had yet to stand up for them. 

 

Before schools were desegregated, before the Civil Rights Act became law, and prior to Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball, the Tuskegee Airmen bravely penned an important chapter in American history.  They literally flew into the history books.”