Tuskegee Airman Essay

Many have heard of the Tuskegee Airmen and their accomplishments. They were a group of African American fighter pilots. They proved to be quite vital to the success of World War II. What many people may not know is the Tuskegee Airmen had several squadrons which fought throughout Europe during the war. The most famous squadron was the 332nd fighter squadron, they were commonly known as the Red Tails. Charles McGee was among those men apart of the Red Tail squadron. Charles McGee is one of most notable men in the Red Tails due to his accomplishments throughout the war. I will be explaining his life and all of his accomplishments throughout this paper on famous individuals in aviation.

The Tuskegee Airmen were very good pilots and became famous for doing excellent work. One of their jobs was keeping enemy fighter planes away from heavy bombers. All the men who flew in the bombers were white. But the Tuskegee Airmen were so good at protecting bombers that bomber crews started asking for the Red Tails to fly with them.

Who were the Tuskegee Airmen? The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of African American aviators in the era of World War 2. They were a large group of men, coming from all over the country. From few that were chosen, they showed a desire to serve the United States under any circumstances. They also had to have the mental qualifications and strength. Once accepted the pilots were then trained to be single-engine pilots and then later on twin-engine pilots. These pilots were either college graduates or undergraduates. If they were neither they still had to go through a comprehension enlistment, and if they passed they would move on to the next training segment. A majority of the men who came dropped out in the first round because they weren't suitable enough. Through the next round a few more failed, leaving only thirteen to start in the first class. By the end of the class there was five graduating pilots. One become the Captain and the other four became lieutenants. Each one receiving their silver wings. Once graduated they were immediately put into numerous battles, winning each

The real turning point for Davis and his black combat airmen came when the 332nd was assigned escort duty for strategic bombers. The Red Tails never lost a bomber to enemy fighters and shot down three of the first jet fighters employed by the Germans. Their truly unique achievement was sinking an enemy destroyer. During the war Davis flew 60 missions and was awarded the Sliver Star, the Legion of Merit and the Distinguished Flying Cross for mission leadership.

However, there were other powerful, motivated leaders take came out of the experiment as they traveled throughout the world to make it possible. Benjamin O. Davis for example was the first Black Air Force General, leading the Tuskegee Airmen flight squadron and standing up to the military establishment in advancing the cause of Black soldiers. More than that, he was known as a symbol of the ability of a Black man to persevere through obstacles towards excellence. In 1943, the 99th Pursuit Squadron was assigned first to Tunisia, then to a combat mission in the German-held Island of Pantelleria. Davis was recalled to to Tuskegee to take over a larger all-black unit preparing for combat in Europe, the 332nd Fighter Group. He was assigned to command many times in various places such as the 477th Composite Group at Godman Field, Kentucky, Lockbourne Army Air Base, Ohio, and the 332nd Fighter Wing. He was later announced Chief of the Air Defense Branch of Air Force operations and Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations at headquarters U.S. Air Force in Washington, D.C amongst other titles awarded to him. Another important influential person was General Daniel “Chappie”

During this mission, the Tuskegee Airmen (then known as the 'Red Tails') destroyed three German ME-262 jet fighters and damaged five additional jet fighters. C. Alfred "Chief" Anderson earned his pilot's license in 1929 and became the first Black American to receive a commercial pilot's certificate in 1932, and, subsequently, to make a transcontinental flight.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. They also had the oppurtonaty to get brand new planes. Service in the U.S. Army Air Corps had been limited to white personnel from its inception as part of the U.S. Army Signal Corps in 1907 until near the end of the

Fortunately, others shared the same desire, and pressure was mounted on the Roosevelt administration to allow greater participation by blacks as the country moved towards war. The administration, therefore, directed the War Department to organize a flying unit just for blacks. To his delight, he was assigned to undergo training in the very first class at the Tuskegee Army Air Field. Finishing his training in 1942, Ben Jr. was one of only five blacks to complete the course, and become the first black officer to make a solo flight in an Army Air Corps plane. He was then promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. In July 1942, Ben was assigned as the commander of the 99th Pursuit Squadron, which history would later call the Tuskegee Airmen.

Since the inception of the Tuskegee program, 2,483 persons were admitted as pilot trainees. Only 996 pilots in 44 classes graduated from the Tuskegee Institute. Of the pilots that graduated, 352 were deployed to Europe for combat. 84 Red Tails lost their lives while fighting overseas during World War II. The Tuskegee Airmen flew a total of 1578 missions, had 112 aerial kills, and received numerous awards and recognition. The Tuskegee Army Field closed on August 20, 1946.

On July 19, 1941 the U.S. Air Force created a program in Alabama to train African Americans as fighter pilots(Tuskegee Airmen1). Basic flight training was done by the Tuskegee institute, a school founded by Booker T. Washington in 1881(Tuskegee Airmen 1). Cadets would finish basic training at Tuskegee's Moton Field and then move on to the Tuskegee Army Air Field to complete his transition from training to combat aircraft. The early Tuskegee squad were taught to fit in with the famous 99th fighter squadron, tagged for combat duty in North Africa. Other Tuskegee pilots were commissioned to the 332d Fighter Group which fought alongside with the 99th Squadron based out of Italy. By the end of the war, 992 men had completed training at

Many people know of the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, they were the first African American Fighting group that flew combat missions for the United States military in World War II. Throughout their time overseas they were breaking down racial barriers by proving that colored men can fly a plane just as well as their white aviation counterparts. In order to get their chance to prove that they were able to serve their country, many things had to go right before they were allowed to take their wheels off the ground. They faced constant discrimination but because of that discrimination they were able to conquer the stereotypes and rise to become some of the most decorated

The Royal Canadian Air Cadets is an example of a community activity that I have actively taken many leadership roles in. Having served the Royal Canadian Air Cadets for more than four years with the 540 Golden Hawks Squadron, I partake in various activities. I have also learned numerous invaluable life and work skills such as teamwork, leadership and confidence, all of which are not spoon-fed to us, but rather acquired from the experiences that I have been through with cadets. We are constantly coached and supervised by Officers who encourage us to lead others. As we age and climb up the ranks, we are encountered with many leadership opportunities that we are strongly encouraged to take.

In the short film, “The Negro Soldier,” the whole focus was to get African Americans to join the military. With the use of propaganda, the U.S. government hoped to promote getting African Americans to want to fight for their country. It hoped to instill patriotism in them. It showed that Germany and the Nazis had no respect for them and considered them the scum of the earth. It also portrayed them being accepted as equals into the American society. It was used to make them think they were wanted and play a major role in the success of the war against germany. And to ultimately make Germany and the Nazis look like the bad guys (destroying their monuments) instead of the racist America they lived in. It also portrayed African American soldiers prior contributions in previously fought wars as pivotal moments in American history. It made it seem like they were the reason for those victories. It also explained how the African American soldiers were honored with tributes, memorials, medals and parades for their service in the military. In the ongoing WWII, it was said that there were three times the number of African Americans soldiers in WWII than in WWI. Also, many more were getting commissioned and attending West Point and OCS (Officer Candidate School). African American men that were once printers, tailors, entertainers are now soldiers in the Army as gunners, tankers, radio operators, mechanics, quartermasters, and infantrymen. They were now the backbone of

November 10, 1775, is revered as being the Marine Corps birthday, and its birthplace being at Tun Tavern, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Continental Congress met at Tun Tavern, to establish two battalions of Continental Marines, under the command of Cpt. Samuel Nicholas, as an amphibious fighting force who would later in March of 1776, participate in their first foreign raid, in the Bahamas (www.globalsecurity.org ). After the Treaty of Paris

The Tuskegee Syphilis Study was an unethical prospective study based on the differences between white and black males that began in the 1930’s. This study involved the mistreatment of black males and their families in an experimental study of the effects of untreated syphilis. With very little knowledge of the study or the disease by participants, the Tuskegee Syphilis Study can be seen as one of the worst forms of injustices in the United States history. Even though one could argue that the study was originally intended to be for good use, the Tuskegee Syphilis Study was immoral and racist because only poor, uneducated black males were used in experiment, the participants were not properly informed of their participation in the

The issues that were involved in the violation of the ethical principles involving human subjects include racism, paternalism, informed consent, truth telling, scientism, and whistle blowing. There were other issues that were involved in this study: double standards, maleficence, and the use of deception in research among others. The issue of racism was seen clearly in this study. Four hundred black persons were infected and two hundred served as a control group. Caucasians were not enrolled in this study. This was a violation of justice because the subjects were not treated