“Red Tail Angels” The Legendary Tuskegee Airmen
‘The ‘Tuskegee Experiment:’ The Legend of the Tuskegee Airmen
By Senior Airman Reggie Manning, The Tuskegee Experiment’ came into effect and shocked the world. Based in Tuskegee, Ala., the facility trained African Americans for aerial combat and the techniques of maintaining combat aircraft. The term Tuskegee Airmen refers to everyone involved in this Army Air Corps program; including pilots, navigators, bombardiers, maintenance and support staff, instructors and every living soul that dedicated their lives to keeping those planes in the air.
Tuskegee, Ala., was chosen as an ideal location because of the flying friendly climate that allowed year-round training. The first Civilian Pilot Training Program students completed training in May, 1940. After the success of the first wave, the Tuskegee program was expanded and became the center for African American aviation during World War ll.
The training of black pilots had an additional level of difficulty, as there were no black instructors at the time. Eleven white officers were assigned to instruct the 429 enlisted men and 47 officers, thus introducing one of the first examples of an integrated unit.
The program received a publicity boost in March, 1941 from first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, when she conducted an inspection on the facility. Alfred “Chief” Anderson, who had been flying since 1929, took the first lady airborne on a half-hour flight. Upon landing, the first lady cheerfully announced, “Well, you can sure fly alright.”
The Tuskegee Airmen were known as the “Red Tail Angels” because of the distinctive red paint on their aircraft propellers and tails, and their honorable record of never losing a bomber on an escort mission.
George Roberts, Benjamin Davis Jr., Charles BeBow Jr., Mac Ross and Lemuel Custis received silver wings of Army Air Force pilots in March, 1942. These men completed the standard Army flight classroom instruction and many hours of flight time. Receiving their silver wings marked a milestone in being the first African Americans to qualify as military pilots in any branch of the armed forces.
Nine hundred and thirty two men graduated from the Negro Air Corps pilot training at Tuskegee by the time the war ended. With more than 450 deployed overseas, a total of 150 men lost their lives in combat fights. These men managed to run 200 successful bomber escort missions; destroy or damage more than 409 German airplanes and 950 ground units, and even sank a battleship destroyer. Their influence on World War ll earned them the nickname Schwartze Volgelmenshen (Black Birdmen) by Germans who both feared and respected them.
The Tuskegee Airmen, under the command of Col. Benjamin O. Davis Jr., fought in the aerial war over North Africa, Sicily and Europe, flying in succession, P-40, P-39, P-47 and P-51 type aircraft. These men flew 15,553 sorties completing 1,578 missions with the 12th Tactical, and the 15th Strategic, U.S. Army Air Force. Davis later became the first black general in the U.S. Air Force and rose to the rank of lieutenant general.
The 99th Fighter Squadron 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 32 were either forced down or shot down and captured as prisoners of war. The Airmen returned home with more than 150 decorations including the Distinguished Flying Cross, Legion of Merit and the Red Star of Yugoslavia.
President Clinton approved Public Law 105-355, on Nov. 6, 1998, which established the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site at Moton Field in Tuskegee, Ala., to further display and commemorate the heroic actions of the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II.
Against all odds, these brave men took an opportunity labeled as an experiment and excelled. They showed that with hard work, dedication and a passion to achieve a goal, any man – no matter his background – can do great things. The Tuskegee Airmen proved that bravery, valor, courage and skill aren’t defined by a man’s skin color, but by the size of his heart and will to fight.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr. interviewed two Tuskegee Airmen, during a virtual roundtable, Oct. 20, 2020, in observance of the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. The event was part of the American Veterans Center’s 23rd Annual Veterans Conference, which will premiere on Oct. 28. (U.S. Air Force graphic)
In observance of the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr. interviewed two Tuskegee Airmen, during a virtual roundtable, Oct. 20.
The event was part of the American Veterans Center’s 23rd Annual Veterans Conference, which will premiere on Oct. 28. Present at the event were Tuskegee Airmen retired Lt. Col. (Dr.) Harold Brown and retired Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson. Also in attendance were Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and U.S. Air Force Academycadets who participated in the discussion.
“It’s very important for our service members — particularly our Airmen — to have an understanding of the history of our Air Force and those that came before us, and how you can rise to whatever the challenge may be and then be successful, and no one is more fitting than the two of you,” Gen. Brown said. “I want to thank you for paving the way, not only for me, but for so many others that have the opportunity to serve.”
According to the National Museum of the United States Air Force, the 99th Pursuit (later Fighter) Squadron was formed as the result of a U.S. Army Air Forces experiment when the U.S. military was racially segregated during World War II. The squadron was comprised of black Airmen, called Tuskegee Airmen, who “demonstrated conclusively that African Americans — if given equal opportunities and training — could fly in, command and support combat units as well as anyone.” They “served with distinction in combat, and contributed to the eventual integration of the U.S. armed services, with the U.S. Air Force leading the way.”
“I was a (young kid) when I joined … it wasn’t until I got older that I realized we had really done something wonderful and made an accomplishment here,” Lt. Col. (Ret.) Brown explained. “I reflect and I think if we hadn’t performed the way that we did, I don’t think that Truman would have integrated us … I think it was primarily because of our success as Tuskegee Airmen.”
The roundtable highlighted the Tuskegee Airmen’s achievements and legacy of breaking barriers.
The cadets were given the opportunity to ask the Tuskegee Airmen questions on topics ranging from their experiences during the war to life after departing the military.
During the war, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Brown was shot down on his 30th combat mission and held as a German prisoner of war for two months while Jefferson was shot down during his 19th combat mission and held as a German POW for eight months.
“Can you imagine 72 P-51s in the air over something like 500 B-17 (and) B-24s? The sky was completely covered literally everywhere and, to me, it was a big show,” Jefferson said as he reminisced about his first combat mission. “To tell you the truth: I enjoyed it, I had a hell of a good time.”
Gen. Brown along with the ROTC and USAFA cadets expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to speak with these trailblazers, underscoring their mark on the diversity of today’s Air Force.
“Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Brown, you are the shoulders we stand on,” Gen. Brown said during his closing remarks. “It’s not just the time you spent with us today, it’s the service you did many years ago that paved the way for many.”