by Bernice Dennis

Created on: February 23, 2011

There are many un-sung heroes of color but my focus this week is on the brave men of world war two-the Tuskegee airmen.      

            The Tuskegee Airmen 332nd fighter group was the first African Americans to fly a plane under the leadership and iron discipline of Col. Benjamin O. Davis.  The red tails learned what their mission in life was to prior to World War two. The U.S. Army corps did not employ Negroes.  However, in the 1940’s President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the Air corps to start the first Negro flying unit.  

The brave young black men were first for their race to become war pilots. Their skills and intellect proved that they were equal in knowledge to any man.   They had to have a good education, a strong desire and a great determination because they were fulfilling dreams for a race of people and shadowing the doubts of another race.  Proving beyond all odds if given an equal chance nothing is impossible for any man. However, the visit of   Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, first lady boosted the men’s confidence when she asked to be flown by one of the young Negro pilots. This verified for the president these brave pilots were as ready as they would ever be.  Can you imagine how honored that young man was having shared his plane with the wife of the president?  

   The 99th was started May 31, 1943; the 99th fighter squadron arrived in Germany attached to the 33rd fighter group flying PF-40’s.  Three days later Lt. Williams A. Campbell, Charles B. Hall, Clarence C. Johnson and James R. Wiley flew the squadron’s first mission.

     Who were the Tuskegee Airmen?  They were escorts for the white pilots when on bombing missions. They never lost a pilot, 109 aerial kills. 152 enemy aircraft destroyed on the ground, 15,533 sorties. 111 German planes demolished. 950 rail cars, trucks, and other motor vehicles destroyed -1,578 missions. A total of 66 of the unit airmen were killed, and 36 were prisoners of war. Their records have never been matched.  

      These exceptional men had to fight racism with-in the country and overseas. However, they never let the hatred of others define who they were.  It was just recently that President Bush our 43rd President honored the black men with the Congressional Medals of Honor, eight purple

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