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African American History Tuskegee Airmen Identification: African American aviators who served in World War II Date: 1942-1946 African Americans have made important contributions to the military services in every war in which they have fought, but the achievements of the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II brought them previously unparalleled distinctions. African Americans made noteworthy gains in the military services during World War II, particularly in the U.S. Army Air Forces. Despite opposition from southern legislators, African American recruits began training at Tuskegee, Alabama. Challenged by substandard training conditions, discrimination, and segregation, the Tuskegee Airmen responded with resolve and discipline. Between 1942 and 1946, 996 African Americans received their silver wings at Tuskegee Army Air Field. Some 450 of these pilots flew with the 99th Fighter Squadron and later, the 332d Fighter Group. They became known as the "red tails" for the scarlet coloring on the tail and nose of their P-51B Mustang aircraft. After their baptism of fire in North Africa, the Tuskegee Airmen moved into Italy. Their commanding officer was Colonel Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. Particularly notable is a daring strafing mission that Davis led in Austria. Despite intense group fire, Davis and his squadron destroyed or damaged thirty-five locomotives, six of which are credited to Davis himself. Around that same time, another pilot in the 332d destroyed a German destroyer single-handedly with machine guns. The Tuskegee Airmen were also the first U.S. pilots to down a German jet. The 332d achieved lasting fame when it assumed escort duties for U.S. bombers striking deep into Germany. The 332d established a record for never losing a single bomber in approximately two hundred missions, a truly extraordinary accomplishment. The group's heroics in the air and dignity on the ground won them many medals and broke the color barriers of the U.S. military. By the end of World War II, one out of sixteen aviators in the U.S. Army Air Forces was an African American. Douglas W. Richmond Further ReadingDryden, Charles W. A-train: Memoirs of a Tuskegee Airman. Foreword by Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1997. Francis, Charles E. The Tuskegee Airmen: The Men Who Changed a Nation. 4th rev. ed. Boston: Branden, 2002. Homan, Lynn M., and Thomas Reilly. Black Knights: The Story of the Tuskegee Airmen. Foreword by Louis R. Purnell. Gretna, La.: Pelican, 2001. See Also Buffalo soldiers; Military; World War II |
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