All Blood Runs Red The Tuskegee Airmen. The Germans called them “Schwartze Vogelmenshen,” Black Birdmen. The Germans called them “Schwartze Vogelmenshen,”

All Blood Runs RedThe Tuskegee Airmen

The Germans called them The Germans called them “Schwartze Vogelmenshen,” Black “Schwartze Vogelmenshen,” Black

Birdmen.Birdmen.

http://www.africanamericans.com/images2/TuskegeeAirmen1.jpg

The all-white American bomber The all-white American bomber crews whom they escorted with crews whom they escorted with courage and distinction during WWII courage and distinction during WWII referred to them as the Black referred to them as the Black Redtail Angels after their P-51s Redtail Angels after their P-51s stabilizers, which were painted stabilizers, which were painted bright red.bright red.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kensaviation/124973655/

http://www.dailyaviator.com/images/2007-02/p-51-c-tuskegee.jpg

History has come to know these History has come to know these black pilots as the Tuskegee black pilots as the Tuskegee

Airmen, 926 men who earned their Airmen, 926 men who earned their wings at Tuskegee Army Airfield wings at Tuskegee Army Airfield from March 1942 through June from March 1942 through June

1946.1946.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/donniesdreams/2217158318/

►They flew more than two hundred They flew more than two hundred bomber escort missions without bomber escort missions without

losing a single bomber to the losing a single bomber to the enemy.enemy.

http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/USPics34/1944tuskegee-p51.jpg

Sixty-six Tuskegee Airmen were Sixty-six Tuskegee Airmen were killed in action, another thirty-two killed in action, another thirty-two

shot down.shot down.

http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/WW2Timeline/tuskegee2.html

►Theirs is the story of black men Theirs is the story of black men fighting for the right to fly in a fighting for the right to fly in a

segregated military, for a country segregated military, for a country still reluctant to grant them certain still reluctant to grant them certain

freedoms, especially freedom of freedoms, especially freedom of opportunity.opportunity.


“ “We were fighting two battles… I We were fighting two battles… I flew for my parents, for my race, for flew for my parents, for my race, for our battle, for first-class citizenship our battle, for first-class citizenship

and for my countryand for my country….”….”


““We were fighting for the 14 million black We were fighting for the 14 million black Americans back home. We were there to Americans back home. We were there to break down barriers, open a few doors, break down barriers, open a few doors,

and do a joband do a job.”.”

– – Maj. Joseph P. Gomer, USAF (ret) and Maj. Joseph P. Gomer, USAF (ret) and member of the Tuskegee Airmenmember of the Tuskegee Airmen


Maj. Joseph Gomer

African Americans had shown their African Americans had shown their ability to fly before WWII. During ability to fly before WWII. During WWI, Georgia-born ace Eugene WWI, Georgia-born ace Eugene Jacques Bullard flew for France. Jacques Bullard flew for France. Known as the “Black Swallow of Known as the “Black Swallow of

Death.”Death.”

http://forum.valka.cz/galerie/albums/userpics/10490/normal_Eugene_Jacques_Bullard.jpg

►Bullard earned the highest French Bullard earned the highest French medals for valor.medals for valor.

http://www.allenscreations.com/images/dsabrrth.jpg

Following WWI, black citizens had Following WWI, black citizens had earned pilots’ licenses, owned earned pilots’ licenses, owned

planes, and made record-breaking planes, and made record-breaking cross-country flights.cross-country flights.


►Yet, in 1939, when President Yet, in 1939, when President Roosevelt started the Civilian Pilot Roosevelt started the Civilian Pilot Training Program to train 20,000 Training Program to train 20,000

college students a year for private college students a year for private flight-level licenses, not a single flight-level licenses, not a single black was allowed to participate.black was allowed to participate.

http://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/pubs/pubDetail.cfm?pubID=102 http://www.historicaldocuments.com/FranklinRoosevelt_FiresideChats.gif

It took the efforts of America’s most It took the efforts of America’s most prominent African-American leaders prominent African-American leaders

and a little-known senator from and a little-known senator from Missouri (Harry S. Truman) to Missouri (Harry S. Truman) to

persuade the Congress to accept persuade the Congress to accept and train black pilots.and train black pilots.

Senator Harry S. Trumanof Missouri.

http://www.trumanlibrary.org/photographs/97-2081.jpg

►The Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, The Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, a black vocational college founded a black vocational college founded

by Booker T. Washington, was by Booker T. Washington, was selected as one of the training selected as one of the training

sites.sites.


►First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt visited First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt visited the institute and flew with the institute and flew with

Tuskegee’s black flying instructor Tuskegee’s black flying instructor Charles “Chief” Anderson.Charles “Chief” Anderson.


►What she saw and that flight What she saw and that flight convinced her that the school convinced her that the school deserved the governments full deserved the governments full

support.support.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scmammy/3143371572/



►President Roosevelt declared President Roosevelt declared Tuskegee an official training site for Tuskegee an official training site for African-American pilots and the 99African-American pilots and the 99thth Pursuit Squadron was established.Pursuit Squadron was established.



Barracks inspection at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas.http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/WW2Timeline/tuskegee2.html



In March 1942, the Tuskegee In March 1942, the Tuskegee Airmen began flying combat Airmen began flying combat

missions.missions.


►Four hundred and fifty of the 926 Four hundred and fifty of the 926 pilots who earned wings at pilots who earned wings at

Tuskegee would participate in the Tuskegee would participate in the battles to control the sky during battles to control the sky during

WWII.WWII.



►On July 26, 1948, Truman, by then On July 26, 1948, Truman, by then president, desegregated the president, desegregated the

military. The Tuskegee Airmen’s military. The Tuskegee Airmen’s performance helped accelerate the performance helped accelerate the

decision.decision.



“ “It was a wondrous sight to see those It was a wondrous sight to see those escort fighter planes coming up to take escort fighter planes coming up to take

care of us…They were flown by men with care of us…They were flown by men with enormous skill and coordination and enormous skill and coordination and

competence.”competence.”

– – WWII Veteran, Former Senator, and WWII Veteran, Former Senator, and presidential candidate George McGovernpresidential candidate George McGovern


Documents

All Blood Runs Red The Tuskegee Airmen. The Germans called them “Schwartze Vogelmenshen,” Black Birdmen. The Germans called them “Schwartze Vogelmenshen,”