My Grandfather, the Tuskegee Airman.

[MissJessicaAnn]

     In the 1940's Tuskegee, Alabama became home to a "military experiment" to train America's first African-American military pilots. In time the "experiment" became known as the Tuskegee Experience and the participants as the Tuskegee Airmen. My grandfather was a Tuskegee Airman. I thought I'd put up a bit of info on the Tuskegee Airmen. With all the racial hype from the election I thought it would be nice to put up a bit of Black History.

 

         Bonam, Leonelle A. 44-E-SE 5/23/1944 2nd Lt. 0830782 Pascagoula MS

 

                   

                                             R.I.P. Grandpa Leon

 

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. Prior to the Tuskegee Airmen, no US military pilots had been African American. However, a series of legislative moves by the United States Congress in 1941 forced the Army Air Corps to form an all-black combat unit, much to the War Department's chagrin. In an effort to eliminate the unit before it could begin, the War Department set up a system to accept only those with a level of flight experience or higher education that they expected would be hard to fill. This policy backfired when the Air Corps received numerous applications from men who qualified even under these restrictions.They came from every section of the country, with large numbers coming from New York City, Washington, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and Detroit. Each one possessed a strong personal desire to serve the United States of America at the best of his ability.

 

 

 

• The Tuskegee Airmen were dedicated, determined young men who volunteered to become America's first Black military airmen
• Those who possessed the physical and mental qualifications and were accepted for aviation cadet training were trained initially to be pilots, and later to be either pilots, navigators, or bombardiers.
• Tuskegee University was awarded the U.S. Army Air Corps contract to help train America’s first Black military aviators because it had already invested in the development of an airfield, had a proven civilian pilot training program and its graduates performed highest on flight aptitude exams.
• Moton Field is named for Tuskegee University's second President, Dr. Robert R. Moton who served with distinction from 1915-1935. The Airmen were delpoyed during the presidential administration of Dr. Frederick Douglas Patterson (1935-1953).
• The all-Black, 332nd Fighter Group consisted originally of four fighter squadrons, the 99th, the 100th, the 301st and the 302nd.
• From 1940-1946, some 1,000 Black pilots were trained at Tuskegee.
• The Airmen’s success during World War II – not losing a single bomber to enemy fire in more than 200 combat missions – is a record unmatched by any other fighter group.
• The 99th Squadron distinguished itself by being awarded two Presidential Unit Citations (June-July 1943 and May 1944) for outstanding tactical air support and aerial combat in the 12th Air Force in Italy, before joining the 332nd Fighter Group.
• The 332nd Fighter Group was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for its longest bomber escort mission to Berlin, Germany, March 24, 1945. It destroyed three German ME-262 Jet fighters and damaged five additional jet fighters without losing any of the bombers or any of its own fighter aircraft to enemy fighters.
• The 332nd Fighter Group had also distinguished itself in June 1944 when two of its pilots flying P-47 Thunderbolts discovered a German destroyer in the harbor of Trieste, Italy.
• The tenacious bomber escort cover provided by the 332nd "Red Tail" fighters often discouraged enemy fighter pilots from attacking bombers escorted by the 332nd Fighter Group.
• C. Alfred "Chief" Anderson earned his pilot's license in 1929 and became the first BlackAmerican to receive a commercial pilot's certificate in 1932, and, subsequently, to make a transcontinental flight.
• Anderson is also well known as the pilot who flew Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of then-U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, convincing her to encourage her husband to authorize military flight training at Tuskegee.
• In 1948, President Harry Truman enacted Executive Order No. 9981 - directing equality of treatment and opportunity in all of the United States Armed Forces, which in time led to the end of racial segregation in the U.S. military forces.
• The U.S. Congress authorized $29 million in 1998 to develop the Tuskegee Airmen Naitonal Historic Site, with the University, Tuskegee Airmen Inc. and the National Park Service serving as partners in its development. To date, a mere $3.6 million has been appropriated for the Site’s implementation.

Facts provided by Tuskegee Airmen Inc. and the Tuskegee University Office of Marketing and Communications.

[proudwife626]

Oct. 12, 2008 at 5:15 PM

what a great post!  i vote popular!   

[FLAngel981]

Oct. 12, 2008 at 5:17 PM

I remember watching the movie The Tuskegee Airmen with Laurence Fishburne. It educated me a little on these brave men. That is awesome that your grandpa was a Tuskgee Airman.

[MissJessicaAnn]

Oct. 12, 2008 at 5:22 PM

Thank you for the comments. I'm glad you like the post ;D

(Original Poster)

[arthistmom]

Oct. 12, 2008 at 8:06 PM

Your family must be so proud of him! Thanks for sharing his story.

[KathySRW]

Oct. 13, 2008 at 12:01 AM

Their story needs to be told!

[MissJessicaAnn]

Oct. 13, 2008 at 10:46 AM

WOW!!! I didn't expect to get any responses to this let alone such positive ones. Thank you ... ;D

(Original Poster)