The National Home of the Tuskegee Airmen

During World War II, there was a dedicated group of individuals that over came many obstacles to do their part to defend their country. Their sense of patriotism was unmatched at a time when our nation needed all of our citizens to pull together and help win the war. What is the big deal, you might ask? Everyone was helping out then, weren’t they? The answer is yes, to a certain extent, they were. But the world was different then, there were barriers of race and sex that made it impossible for many to give their all to the war effort. Today’s Family First Site looks at this group that over came those stereotypes and limitations to defend their country.

The site is called The National Home of the Tuskegee Airmen. The Tuskegee Airmen were dedicated, determined young men who enlisted to become America’s first black military airmen, at a time when there were many people who thought that black men lacked intelligence, skill, courage and patriotism. Each one possessed a strong personal desire to serve the United States of America at the best of his ability. Those who possessed the physical and mental qualifications were accepted as aviation cadets to be trained initially as single-engine pilots and later to be either twin-engine pilots, navigators or bombardiers. No standards were lowered for the pilots or any of the others who trained in operations, meteorology, intelligence, engineering, medicine or any of the other officer fields. Enlisted members were trained to be aircraft and engine mechanics, armament specialists, radio repairmen, parachute riggers, control tower operators, policemen, administrative clerks and all of the other skills necessary to fully function as an Army Air Corp flying squadron or ground support unit.
The outstanding performance of these pilots and their ground support units went a long way towards abolishing the military’s policy of racial segragation. In 1948, President Harry Truman enacted Executive Order Number 9981 which directed equality of treatment and opportunity in all of the United States Armed Forces. This order, in time, led to the end of racial segregation in the military forces. The positive experience, the outstanding record of accomplishment and the superb behavior of the Tuskegee Airmen during the war, and after, were important factors in the initiation of the historic social change to achieve racial equality in America. This was a major milestone in the civil rights movement that gained strength in the 1960’s.
The outstanding record of black airmen in World War II was accomplished by men whose names will forever live in hallowed memory. Each one accepted the challenge, proudly displayed his skill and determination while suppressing internal rage from humiliation and indignation caused by frequent experiences of racism and bigotry, at home and overseas. These airmen fought two wars – one against a military force overseas and the other against racism at home and abroad. Today, we honor their service and their memory.
http://www.tuskegeeairmen.org/MainFrameset.htm