http://www.friendsoftuskegeeairmennhs.org/category/did-you-know/ |
How did blacks overcome racism during the 1940s?
The Tuskegee Airmen
were pioneers of World War II, having been the first black aviators to serve as
fighter pilots in the military. The
Tuskegee Airmen originated from the United States Army Air Corps program called
the “Tuskegee Experiment” that began in the summer of 1941 at the historic
Tuskegee University in Alabama. The
“Tuskegee Experiment” was a military experiment to see if blacks could be
trained to fly combat aircrafts.
However, not only was the experiment a milestone in training blacks as
military pilots, but the Tuskegee Airmen proceeded to succeed with flying
colors. These pilots earned some of the
most envied military records in history.
More importantly, they advanced the American Civil Rights Movement by
setting the standard that would make the American military begin to integrate
fully before the end of the decade. The black
service members who graduated from the Tuskegee Army Air Field at the time when
the military officially accepted racist attitudes, was a testament to the men’s
extraordinary determination to succeed as pilots. During this time period, aviation was
considered to be the one of the most academically and psychologically
challenging areas of military service.
A 1925 Army War College
study of black troops in WWI concluded that Negroes, as blacks were called back
then, were subservient, mentally inferior, and “barely fit for combat” (Swick). The “Tuskegee Experiment” was developed
mostly in order to satisfy the National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People and other black activists.
However, it was also the best opportunity for the military and the
service members at Tuskegee to communicate and interact to clear away the old
misunderstanding, distrust, and prejudice.
The black service members at the Tuskegee Army Air Field realized that
old bigoted attitudes still remained in the military at this time, so they
looked at this period as an opportunity to demonstrate their military
worthiness. The Tuskegee Air Field
proved that “you can’t judge a man by the color of his eyes or the shape of his
nose; on the flight strip you judge a man by the way he flies” (History.com).
The Tuskegee Airmen all
flying under the 332nd Fighter Group, were assigned different
responsibilities during the WWII campaign.
They were nicknamed Red Tails because they all painted their tail wings
red for easier recognition. The 99th
Pursuit Squadron, the most well known squadron of the 332nd Fighter
Group, was assigned to escort bombers to target strikes throughout Southern
Europe and Berlin. Their commander instructed
them to stay close to the bombers which were flown by white pilots and to not
peel off in pursuit of enemy pilots. They
performed so well that white bomber pilots began to request them as bomber
escorts. They gained a great reputation
throughout the war and were believed to never have lost a bomber that they
escorted in over 200 missions. Other
Tuskegee Airmen Squadrons flying with the 332nd Fighter Group were
assigned routine morning patrols that flew over Italy, Burma, Holland, Germany
and even China searching for the enemy.
They often faced three to one odds when facing the Nazi’s, but instead they
were able to destroyed three Nazi planes for every one of theirs destroyed (Grahl). Contrary to long held beliefs, the Tuskegee
Airmen 332nd Fighter Group did, in fact, lose 27 bombers they
escorted. They were shot down by the
enemy aircraft. The stories of the Red
Tails never losing a bomber were a widespread belief until the 21st
century when researchers made comparisons of flight logs, mission reports, and
bomber losses. However, the average
number of bombers lost by other escort groups of the 15th Air Force
was 46, nearly double the loss rate of bombers protected by the Red Tails. The group’s kill total was 103 for enemy
aircraft. Although credited with sinking
a German destroyer using only their machine guns, researchers proved the ship
was instead put out of commission for the rest of the war because of the heavy
damaged it sustained at the hands of the Tuskegee Airmen (Swick). The Red Tails accomplishments are still
impressive even knowing the extent of the corrections.
The military advertised
the “Tuskegee Experiment” as training for blacks that would be equal to the
training that white servicemen received in preparation to become fighter
pilots. Three years after first
graduating class of Tuskegee Airmen, only a small number were alive. Also, three years after the founding of the
Tuskegee Air Field, 750 pilots had been trained for combat and just 50 percent
had flown combat missions. The military
promotion of equal training and equal opportunity for blacks in aviation could
not be completely supported by these results.
The “Tuskegee
Experiment” was an extremely significant event that helped blacks in their
struggle for opportunities to serve in non-subservient roles in the U.S.
Military. The actions of the Tuskegee
Airmen as pioneers opened up opportunities for thousands and tens of thousands
of other military men (Grahl). The newly
trained black aviators used their unique opportunity to provide escort cover
for white bomber crews to show the military that they were ready, disciplined,
and capable of flying combat missions against America’s enemies. Their exemplary performance opened the door
for the racial integration of the military services, beginning with the Air
Force, and contributed ultimately to the end of racial segregation in the
United States (Swick).
Citations
Grahl,
Chris. "Tuskegee Airmen." Tuskegee Airman. Chris Grahl, 2009. Web. 10
May 2015. <http://www.havefunwithhistory.com/movies/tuskegeeAirmen.html>.
Swick,
Gerald D. "Tuskegee Airmen." History Net Where History Comes Alive
World US History Online RSS. World History Group, 2015. Web. 10 May 2015. <http://www.historynet.com/tuskegee-airmen>.
"Tuskegee
Airman Luther Smith Video." History.com. A&E Television Networks,
2015. Web. 10 May 2015. <http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/world-war-ii-history/videos/tuskegee-airman-luther-smith>.