Tuskegee Airmen were the first black military men
Introduction
Tuskegee Airmen were the first black military men who took part in World War 2 as pilot wings. An estimate of 1 000 black pilots was trained at and graduated from Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama. The Tuskegee airmen influenced African American history in many ways, whereas overcoming challenges in America.
The Tuskegee airmen helped in tearing down the germans during the Second World War. The black people remain remarkable in history for their contribution to the victory against Germans during the second world war. In 1944, Yenwith Whitney served as a pilot in one of all -black fighter units in the 332 fighter group. Whitney flew 34 combat missions in Europe during the war. He also took part in escorting heavy bombers and earned a three cluster and an Air Medal for his service. His efforts, with support from other Black support, resulted in a remarkable feat in the Second World War.
The Tuskegee Airmen were pioneers in science inventions and technological advancements. They played significant roles in helping the Americans win the war and advance scientifically. For instance, Warren Henry developed a video amplifier for transportable radar systems to sense and track German submariners and was recruited by the MIT radiation Laboratory in 1953. Wallace Patillo Reed, on the other hand, was a trained weather officer who graduated as the first African-American meteorologist in 1942. He was instructed into the Army Air Corps, to orient the first class of pilots graduated from the Tuskegee Army Air Field. He assisted in the training of the weather officers who deployed oversees.
The Tuskegee airmen contributed to the education of blacks and whites in general. All the black scholars acquired either masters or Ph.D. in their knowledge. After the end of the Second World War, they taught in military schools and colleges. Warren henry was a chemist physics teacher while George L Washington established an Air Force training program for black pilots AT Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.
The Tuskegee airmen helped in creating equality between the blacks and the whites. They advocated for the rights of the black people against segregation in the military camps and clubs, and Victor Ransom became the first black man to enter an American club. In 1947, the members of the 477th Bombardment group staged a peaceful demonstration do desegregate the Indiana club, Freeman field. They set the pace for the black race to follow in the fight for their freedom in America.
The Tuskegee airmen proved that given a chance, they would effectively lead the military and become great pilots. In the Tuskegee institute, the blacks lacked the opportunity to train as pilots. Chief Charles Anderson, however, was a self-trained pilot who acquired a pilot’s license in 1927. he flew with Mrs. Roosevelt, an upcoming civil rights activists, who had visited the institute and insisted on seeing the black pilots fly the planes. She filmed the whole flight and persuaded her husband to activate the Tuskegee Airmen in North Africa and the European Theatre. Charles Anderson started the Tuskegee Civilian Training program at Tuskegee Institute, where he trained over nine hundred airmen. He made it possible for his flying squadron to persuade President Harry Truman to end segregation in the U.S military, and this enabled the opening of America to a new social order.
The greatest challenge faced by the Tuskegee airmen faced was racism, in the military school, and the American society at large. They got hated for their ‘colored’ skin. The blacks and whites had to work in unison on air, but the whites segregated the blacks in times of no action. The white men did not even share their halls, barracks, or even seats with the black American soldiers. The Germans also referred to these military pilots as the ‘Blackbirds.’ The Tuskegee men had to bear the mocking nicknames. In the warring events, the Tuskegee lost some of their members to attacks and serious injuries, and some of the black Americans got captured as prisoners of war at the Nazi camps. This capture- was a challenge because that point meant a reduction of Blackman’s workforce.
Although the whites believed that a black man lacked the brainpower, courage, and expertise to fly or operate an advanced aircraft, the Tuskegee airmen proved their excellence as
military pilots. However, they still served in under-regulated
units. In 1938, President Roosevelt ordered the expansion of the civilian pilot training program in the United States. This order led to an increase of African Americans in the army and workforce from 3%-8%. The blacks got assigned to the low paying jobs. With time, the whites slowly accepted the dark as their people.
Conclusion
The excellent performance of the Tuskegee airmen in the combat showed that they were fully deserving of equal
opportunities given to pilots and service members. They encouraged the Airforce to
integrate before the other services. They stood firm against segregation, and also
risked their lives for the massive love they had for their country. The
Tuskegee received the Congressional Gold Medal award in March 2007 from President
George.W.Bush.