Top 20 Unbelievable Facts about The Tuskegee airmen

Top 20 Unbelievable Facts about The Tuskegee Airmen

Originally published by Philipp A on March 2022. Edited by Charity K on May 2023 and Updated by Vanessa R on January 2024

The Tuskegee Airmen were the first Black military aviators in the United States Army Air Corps (AAC), which was a forerunner to the United States Air Force.

They were trained at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama and flew over 15,000 missions in Europe and North Africa during WWII.

Their outstanding performance won them over 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses and aided in the eventual integration of the United States military forces.

They became the United States Army Air Forces’ 332d Expeditionary Operations Group and 477th Bombardment Group.

The following are some of the unbelievable facts about the Tuskegee airmen.

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1. The Tuskegee Airmen had an excellent track record in bomber escort missions

The Tuskegee Airmen are best known for flying fighters in the Mediterranean theatre, first with the Twelfth Air Force, where they performed hundreds of missions, and subsequently with the Fifteenth Air Force.

The 332d Fighter Group and its 99th, 100th, 301st, and 302d Fighter Squadrons flew largely bomber escort flights for the latter and developed a reputation for brilliance while doing so.

They only lost 27 bomber escort missions out of 179, compared to an average of 46 for other 15th Air Force P-51 squadrons.

2. They were established with the help of Eleanor Roosevelt

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and C. Alfred “Chief” Anderson Picture By U.S. Air Force photo – Wikimedia Commons

Eleanor Roosevelt took a flight in the back of pilot C. Alfred “Chief” Anderson’s plane at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama in March 1941. It wasn’t quite that casual; in fact, the incident was highly significant – because Anderson was black.

Mrs. Roosevelt commemorated the occasion with a photograph of herself and Mr. Anderson, which she soon returned to her husband, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and successfully encouraged FDR to use the 99th Squadron in combat missions.

Eleanor Roosevelt’s enthusiasm for African-American pilots and the Institute’s training program was evident when she flew with Anderson. The Institute’s profile was bolstered by press coverage of her flight adventure, which helped advocate for these pilots’ competency.

Roosevelt was so taken with the program that she struck up a long-distance communication with a few of the pilots.

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3. Tuskegee airmen were the first three black generals in the US Air Force

Three Tuskegee Airmen rose through the ranks of the military to become generals.

Lucius Theus (1979) was the Tuskegee Airmen’s first and only mission support officer elevated to general, and the third Black Air Force general after Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. and Daniel Chappie James.

4. Red Tails and Red Tails Angels were two of their nicknames

Tuskegee Airmen Float, Bud Billiken Parade 2015 Picture By Daniel X. O’Neil – Wikimedia Commons

Following this transfer, the 332nd’s pilots began flying P-51 Mustangs to accompany the 15th Air Force’s heavy bombers on missions deep into enemy territory.

Their planes’ tails were painted red for identification, earning them the “Red Tails.”

They are best renowned for their heroic actions during World Combat II’s air war, as well as for defying preconceptions that prevented black Americans from serving as pilots in the US Armed Forces.

5. They had to deal with segregation on base

Racism, discrimination, segregation, and limited prospects for promotion plagued the airmen at home, overseas, and in the service, despite their courage.

President Harry Truman signed Executive Order 9981 in 1948, requiring that all members of the United States Armed Forces be treated equally and given equal opportunities.

6. Tuskegee airmen were more than just pilots; they were the pioneers

Tuskegee airmen Picture By Toni Frissell – Wikimedia Commons

The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of mostly African-American military pilots and airmen who served during WWII.

They are composed of the US Army Air Forces’ 332d Expeditionary Operations Group and the 477th Bombardment Group.

They were the first Black military aviators in the Army Air Corps (AAC), which was the forerunner to the United States Air Force.

7. Some Tuskegee airmen died

During the war, 355 African-American pilots trained at Tuskegee were deployed overseas, 84 were killed in action, a dozen perished on training and non-combat missions, and 32 were captured after being shot down.

Charles McGee, who flew 409 combat missions and was one of the last surviving members of the Tuskegee Airmen, died on January 16, 2022. He was 102 years old.

8. Tuskegee airmen received recognition for their achievements

President George W. Bush and the United States Congress presented the Tuskegee Airmen with the Congressional Gold Medal (CGM) on March 29, 2007, in a ceremony held in the Rotunda of the United States Capitol.

The CGM is the highest civilian honour bestowed by the United States.

This award was given to the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African-American pilots who served in the US Army Air Forces during WWII. More than 850 medals are believed to have been received by them.

9. All Tuskegee airmen who served in the Tuskegee army between 1941 and 1949 were known as the (DOTA)

Tuskegee Airmen Picture By National Archives and Records Administration – Wikimedia Commons

Anyone who served at Tuskegee Army Air Field or in any of the programs arising from the “Tuskegee Experience” between 1941 and 1949 is considered a documented Original Tuskegee Airman (male or female, military or civilian, black or white) (DOTA).

During World War II, they were a group of mostly African American military pilots (fighters and bombers) and airmen known as the Black Panthers.

10. All African-American military pilots received their training at Motor Field and Tuskegee Air Field, both located near Tuskegee, Alabama

The all-black 99th Pursuit Squadron of the United States Army Air Corps (later the United States Army Air Forces) was founded in January 1941 by the War Department to be trained in single-engine planes at the segregated Tuskegee Army Air Field in Tuskegee, Alabama.

The NAACP, the black press, and others had been fighting hard for the government to allow African Americans to join the military as pilots.

The NAACP and the most influential black newspapers, on the other hand, were opposed to the notion of forming distinct black units, believing that it would only serve to maintain segregation and prejudice.

Moton Field at Tuskegee, Alabama, was the major flying training ground for the pioneering pilots known as the Tuskegee Airmen due to segregation, and it is now operated by the National Park Service to highlight their history and achievements.

Moton Field honours African-American airmen who served in World War II.

11. They Achieved a lot After Training

They were the first African American soldiers to complete their training successfully and enter the Army Air Corps. After training, nearly 1000 aviators were produced as America’s first African American military pilots.

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12. There is a Special Meaning Behind The Name

The name Tuskegee Airmen refers to the young Black pilots who received flight training at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama. The airfield was the only training facility that offered Black pilots of the U.S. Army Air Force Basic and Advanced Flight Training.

13. The Tuskegee Airmen Left a Lasting Legacy 

The original uploader was Signaleer at English Wikipedia., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Even though the Tuskegee Airmen were deactivated, its success contributed to the eventual integration of the United States military and the desegregation of the U.S. Armed Forces. In 1949, President Truman issued an Executive Order that called for equality and opportunity in the armed forces.

14. The Tuskegee Airmen Influenced The Civil Rights Movement

The Tuskegee Airmen proved that Black men could be elite fighter pilots during the Second World War. Its success reflected the struggle African Americans had to go through to achieve equal rights. It also helped break down racial barriers in the military and society.

15. There is Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Museum

The museum is located at Moton Field in Tuskegee, Alabama commemorates the contributions of African-American women in World War II. Moton Field was the site for flight training for the Tuskegee Airmen. The site is now operated by the National Park Service to interpret its achievements and history.

It was constructed in 1941 as a new training base. The field was named after the former Tuskegee Institute.

16. Some Tuskegee Airmen took part in the Tuskegee Syphilis Study

United States Congress, Office of Terri Sewell, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Regrettably, some Tuskegee Airmen were unwittingly involved in the notorious Tuskegee Syphilis Study, a dark chapter in American medical history. Beginning in 1932 and lasting until 1972, the U.S. Public Health Service conducted an unethical experiment in which African American men, including some veterans from the Tuskegee Airmen, were denied treatment for syphilis. The participants were misled about the nature of the study, being told they were receiving free healthcare while, in reality, the researchers were observing the progression of the untreated disease.

The Tuskegee Syphilis Study violated basic ethical standards and raised significant concerns about the mistreatment of vulnerable populations in the name of scientific research. The revelation of this unethical study had far-reaching consequences, leading to changes in medical research ethics and prompting a reevaluation of the treatment of study participants.

17. The Tuskegee Airmen’s story has been depicted in various films

The extraordinary achievements and struggles of the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II have captivated filmmakers looking to capture the intersecting themes of war, prejudice, and human perseverance. As the first African-American military pilots, serving a country that still actively discriminated against their race, the Tuskegee Airmen demonstrated unmatched skills and courage at critical wartime moments yet still faced bigotry and skepticism. Bringing their story from wartime obscurity to acclaimed films has served dual purposes.

First, recreations aim to salute these brave pilots while memorializing how they ultimately debunked racist notions of black inferiority through their stellar combat performance. Additionally, portraying the adversity and barriers socially and institutionally ingrained against these courageous men spotlights how far America has progressed regarding race while underscoring how far it still has to go. Though several decades late, films now honour the Tuskegee Airmen not just as war heroes but as catalysts for incremental change, bringing this vital history to a wider public at a time when its lessons resonate as strongly as ever.

18. Tuskegee Airmen included not only fighter pilots but also bomber pilots

See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

While the Tuskegee Airmen are often associated with World War II’s African American fighter pilots, they also included bomber units that made significant but overlooked contributions. As part of the U.S. Army Air Forces’ effort to train Black aviation specialists in the segregated military, pilots were trained on fighter, bomber and reconnaissance aircraft at Alabama’s Tuskegee Army Air Field. This diverse group operated under the collective name Tuskegee Airmen.

Though the fighter pilots garnered fame by escorting bombers during the war, less celebrated were pioneering airmen like the 477th Bombardment Group. Flying B-25 bombers, they completed vital air support missions yet still faced discrimination within the military system. The bomber pilots bravely risked their lives for a country denying them equal rights and respect. Alongside the fighters protecting them, these bold Black aviators demolished arguments of white superiority and paved the way for the Tuskegee training program’s eventual desegregation. Their combined efforts proved military excellence knows no colour lines.

19. Tuskegee Airmen served in the European Theatre

The Tuskegee Airmen, skilled African American aviators stationed in Italy during World War II, demonstrated exceptional competence and bravery in combat. Despite facing discrimination and scepticism, they flew missions, including escorting bombers on strategic runs. Their impressive combat record earned them respect among soldiers and military leadership.

Their contributions helped dismantle racial stereotypes and paved the way for the eventual desegregation of the U.S. military. Their remarkable achievements in the European Theatre remain a testament to their determination, skill, and resilience amidst external adversaries and internal discrimination.

20. The Tuskegee Airmen included individuals with diverse backgrounds

United States Air Force Photograph, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Tuskegee Airmen had all kinds of people with different backgrounds. They weren’t just pilots; there were also mechanics, cooks, nurses, and people who worked in offices. This mix of individuals showed that everyone, no matter their background, had skills and talents to contribute.

It challenged the idea that African Americans could only do certain jobs in the military. The Tuskegee Airmen proved that having a diverse group of people with different experiences and talents could make the team stronger. It was about everyone coming together, breaking down stereotypes, and showing what they could do.

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