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WWII Group Stories: Tuskegee Airmen, Nisei & Women

Directions: Please read the following articles and answer corresponding questions.

Tuskegee Airmen

The Tuskegee Airmen were dedicated, determined young men who enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps to become America’s first black military airmen. They accepted the challenge during a time when many people thought that black men lacked intelligence, skill, courage and patriotism. They were trained at Tuskegee Army Air Field (TAAF) in Tuskegee Alabama. These men came from every part of the country; each one possessed a strong personal desire to serve the United States of America at the best of his ability.The first aviation class with 13 cadets began July 19, 1941. Nine months later in March 1942, five of the 13 cadets in the first class completed the Army Air Corps pilot training program and earned their silver wings and became the nation’s first black military pilots.From 1941 through 1946 close to 1,000 pilots graduated from Tuskegee Army Air Field, receiving commissions and pilot wings. Three hundred and fifty-five of the pilots served overseas with the 99th Pursuit Squadron (later the 99th Fighter Squadron) and the 332nd Fighter Group. There were some 15,000 Tuskegee Airmen in total which included pilots, navigators, bombardiers, mechanics, doctors, nurses, instructors, maintenance, and various administrative personnel required to support a fighter group.The Tuskegee Airmen will live on forever in the pages of history. They succeeded in proving to the world that blacks could fly while displaying skill, determination, and suppressing rage from the humiliation and indignation caused by repeated experiences of racism and bigotry.These men fought two wars – one against a military enemy force overseas and another one against racism at home.The Tuskegee Airmen: Fascinating Facts

1. The Tuskegee airmen once shot down three German jets in a single day.On March 24, 1944, a fleet of P-51 Mustangs led by Colonel Benjamin O. Davis, commander of the Tuskegee airmen, set out on the longest escort mission their crews would fly during World War II. The 43 fighters were there to help B-17 bombers run a gauntlet of over 1,600 miles into the heart of Hitler’s Germany and back. The bombers’ target, a massive Daimler-Benz tank factory in Berlin, was heavily defended by whatever forces the Luftwaffe could muster at that point in the war. The 25 aircraft protecting the plant included battle-tested fighters and planes. While the American P-51s typically lagged behind many of these planes, they could outmaneuver them at low speeds. The German planes also tended to run out of fuel more quickly than the Tuskegee airmen’s Mustangs. Making the most of their limited advantages, pilots Charles Brantley, Earl Lane, and Roscoe Brown all shot down German jets over Berlin that day, earning the all-black 332nd Fighter Group a Distinguished Unit Citation.

2. Thurgood Marshall, the future Supreme Court justice, got his start defending Tuskegee bomber trainees.The 477th Bombardment Group was formed in 1944 to extend the so-called “Tuskegee experiment” by allowing black aviators to serve on bomber crews. The aim was to send pilots—many of them veterans of the original Tuskegee fighter group—back to the States for training on B-25 bombers. While in Indiana, some of the African-American officers were arrested and charged with mutiny after entering an all-white officers’ club. Thurgood Marshall, then a young lawyer, represented the 100 black officers who had landed in jail as a result of the confrontation. The men were soon released (although one was later convicted of violent conduct and fined).

3. The Airmen might have never gotten off the ground without Eleanor Roosevelt’s help.In April 1941, months before the United States entered World War II, Eleanor Roosevelt visited Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama, where the Tuskegee airmen had begun training. Charles “Chief” Anderson, Tuskegee’s chief flight instructor at the time, offered to take the first lady around the field. Anderson had taught himself to fly years earlier in a used plane he bought with his own savings. Roosevelt agreed, and the photos and film that came out of the 40-minute flight helped convince people in power to support the creation of a black fighter group.

4. Three Tuskegee airmen went on to become generals.For keeping his cool in the face of Qaddafi’s troops, Daniel James was appointed a brigadier general by President Nixon. He wasn’t the only graduate of the “Tuskegee experiment” to make flag rank, however. James followed in the footsteps of Benjamin O. Davis Jr., the original commander of the 332nd Fighter Group and the first black general in the U.S. Air Force. Another Tuskegee aviator, Lucius Theus, retired a major general after dedicating most of his 36-year career in the Air Force to improving the military’s bureaucracy, helping to implement a direct deposit system for service members.

Questions

1. Who were the Tuskegee Airman?America’s first black military airmen

2. Explain at least three examples of the accomplishments of the Tuskegee Airmen. Three hundred and fifty-five of the pilots served overseas with the 99th Pursuit SquadronThe Tuskegee airmen once shot down three German jets in a single day.Three Tuskegee airmen went on to become generals.

3. The Tuskegee Airmen were fighting two wars one overseas and one at home. Explain and give support for this statement.

The war at home was the war against racism.

The American Nisei Regiments

Most are unaware of the Japanese-American participation in World War II. Even though many Japanese were being interned in prison camps such as Manzanar, there were a select few that were enlisted in the US army to help break the language barrier.

Nisei is the term for first generation Japanese-Americans. They were born and raised in America, but with parents who emigrated from Japan. The army interviewed 5,000 Nisei to act as translators in the war. The ones that were accepted were ironically sent to a special school in Minnesota to better comprehend the customs and language of Japan. 3,700 Nisei graduated from the school, and served in the Pacific, saving many American lives.

During World War II, the Nisei quickly earned distinction in combat. They were originally recruited primarily as interpreters, but soon came to serve in other capacities as well. The military also used them as both scouts and combatants.

In the Philippines the Nisei provided a valuable service by translating documents obtained from the enemy, and by the time the United States was ready to invade the Philippines the translations had helped the American army garner a comprehensive understanding of the Japanese plans.

Many Nisei served in Burma and China in the 5307th regiment that was known as “Merill's Marauders” in honor of its commander Brigadier General Frank D. Merrill. Under his command the Nisei served as spies, who traveled to enemy lines to eavesdrop on the enemy plans. The Nisei soon earned the admiration of their comrades for their loyalty and valor.

During the war, two all-Nisei regiments were formed. The first was the 100th Infantry Battalion of Hawaii, and it was the only Nisei regiment during the immediate aftermath of Pearl Harbor. As the war progressed, necessitycaused the formation of yet another all-Nisei regiment, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which fought inNorth Africa, France, and Italy and became known for its fanatic fighting style.

By enlisting in the army the Nisei demonstrated their loyalty to America. Their oath of honor and loyalty to ourcountry and our liberties would contribute to the eventual just treatment and equality of the Nisei. Thegovernment and the people both began to doubt themorality of Japanese internment.

The 442nd became the most decorated active American unit in World War II and suffered the highest casualty rate of any American regiment during the entire war. The members received much recognition, including seven Presidential Unit Citations, 52 Distinguished Service Crosses, and 560 Silver Stars. The 100th Infantry Battalion also earned distinction, and obtained over 1000 Purple Hearts. Included among them was Daniel Inouye, who lost his arm fighting in Italy. He is currently a Senator from Hawaii.

Although Japanese Americans were targets of hostility and persecution at the start of World War II, as the war progressed American attitudes towards them were changed, due in a large part

to the distinguishable military service of the Nisei. With the help of the Nisei, America was victorious in several decisive battles including the Battle at Midway, against the Japanese empire.

Questions:

1. Who were the Nisei? Nisei is the term for first generation Japanese-Americans

2. What role did the Nisei play in the Philippines during WWII?In the Philippines the Nisei provided a valuable service by translating documents obtained from the enemy

3. What did the loyalty of the Nisei do to the United States government and people? Their oath of honor and loyalty to our country and our liberties would contribute to the eventual just treatment and equality of the Nisei. The government and the people both began to doubt the morality of Japanese internment.

Women during WWII

The War Advertising Council's “Women in War Jobs” campaign was the most successful advertising recruitment campaign in American history. Rosie the Riveter, a fictional character immortalized by posters supporting the war effort and a wartime song of the same name, helped to recruit more than two million women into the workforce. With millions of American men heading off to war, the nation was desperate for workers to staff the manufacturing plants needed for the war effort.

In December 1941, almost 13 million women were at work. By February 1943, that number rose to 15 million, but there was a need for two million more women by early 1944. The jobs that needed employees were in war production plants and necessary civilian services, as both were essential to support the country. Until this time, millions of American women had never worked outside their homes. The idea of taking any kind of job outside of their homes was a new idea, and like all new ideas, required explanation.

The nation's major magazines devoted their September 1943 covers to portrayals of women in war jobs,creating approximately 125 million advertisements. Womanpower ads, most of which were full pages,were among the interior pages of these magazines. Motion pictures, newspapers, radio, trade press,employee publications, and in-store displays all tied in importantly. Even museums participated, withthe Museum of Modern Art in New York conducting a contest for the best magazine covers.

The underlying theme was that the social change required to bring women into the workforce was a patriotic responsibility for women, and an opportunity for employers to support the war economy. Those ads led to a tremendous change in the relationship between women and the workplace. As a result, employment outside of the home became socially acceptable and even desirable.

Rosie’s image graced postage stamps and the cover of Smithsonian magazine and before long Rosie the Riveter became a nickname for women working in wartime industries. In May of 2002, Norman Rockwell's Rosie the Riveter painting was auctioned by Sotheby's for nearly $5 million.

Questions:

1. Why was Rosie the Riveter created?Rosie the Riveter helped to recruit more than two million women into the workforce.

2. Why were some women hesitant to take jobs outside of the home?Until this time, millions of American women had never worked outside their homes. The idea of taking any kind of job outside of their homes was a new idea, and like all new ideas, required explanation