Tuskegee Airmen

The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of courageous fighter pilots who overcame racial boundaries to be the first African American military pilots in the armed forces. Active from 1940-1946, in the midst of the Jim Crow laws, the airmen flew in an army that was still segregated. Despite these adversities, they were successful in their bomber escorts in Europe. The United States Congress passed a series of legislations in 1941 that set up an all-black combat unit in the United States military. The War Department tried to eliminate the group before it they began by setting up a system that would only accept those who had flight experience or a higher education that they expected would be hard to fill. However, this policy failed when many of the applicants qualified even under these restrictive specifications.

In 1941, they stared to train in Rantoul, Illinois, and formed the 99^th Fighter Squadron. Over 250 men enlisted and were trained at Chanute Field, in Rantoul. The airmen were placed under the command of Captain Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. who was one of the few African American West Point graduates. Once considered ready for combat, the 99^th squadron participated in the North African campaign, and would later on move to the Mediterranean Coast, and Italy. Afterwards, they traveled to Germany, and Poland escorting bombers into battle. In all, 994 pilots were trained in Tuskegee, and 445 were deployed into combat. Of those 445, 150 lost their lives.

On march 29^th, 2007, about 350 Tuskegee Airmen received the Congressional Gold Medal at a ceremony in the US Capitol rotunda. The place where the airmen trained is now a national historic site, Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Sight. During the inauguration of Barack Obama in 2008, the remaining members of the Tuskegee Airmen were in attendance. Through their courageous acts, their legacy will live on for generations.

By: Yotam Kasznik and Jonas Pinnau