The Color of Heroes - The Story of the Tuskegee Airmen

Questions

1. Describe prevailing pre-WWII attitudes in the U.S. military toward African Americans.Various - a stubborn color barrier existed at the time in the minds of military leaders, some eveninsisting that black people were not intelligent or courageous enough to be placed in combat roles,especially to be pilots.

A 2. The favored solution to the "racial problem" in the U.S. at the time of WWII could be summed up as:A. Separate but equalB. Reinstitution of slaveryC. Total segregationD. Total integration of blacks and whites

3. Explain what the "Tuskegee Experiment" involved and why it was started.Various, including that due to pressure from black activist groups, Congress directed the Army AirCorps to test the concept of an all-black fighter squadron. The experiment was set up at TuskegeeInstitute in Alabama, an African American school. Pilots and support crew were prepared and sent toEurope as the 99th Pursuit Squadron. Later, more pilots were produced by the program and formed the332nd Fighter Group. They performed superbly, mostly as bomber escorts.

D 4. The philosophy of Col. Ben Davis, commander of the 332nd, was:A. "Save yourself first-don't stick your neck out for these guys."B. "Just put in your time. Nobody cares anyway."C. "Go for individual achievement-lots of "kills" will impress military leaders and make things easier for

us."D. "Work for the good of the group rather than personal glory-stay with the bombers rather than pursue

enemy fighters."

5. What was the most compelling achievement of the Tuskegee Airmen? What other honors did they earn?Various, especially the record of having lost none of the bombers they escorted; honors includedPresidential Unit Citations, hundreds of Air Medals and Flying Crosses, several Purple Hearts andBronze and Silver Stars.

6. How were the black pilots from Tuskegee received by other fighter units? By bomber pilots? Luftwaffepilots?Various - white fighter squadrons tended to ostracize the black pilots, but bomber pilots requested theRedtails whenever they could. German pilots learned to respect the abilities and courage of the menfrom Tuskegee.

C 7. Racial segregation in the U.S. military officially ended:A. When the Tuskegee pilots were sent into combatB. At the end of WWIIC. When Truman instituted an order in 1948D. In WWI

8. What career would you like to pursue? Imagine the law denies you the career you desire because of yourethnic background. How would you feel? What would you do?Various