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At the time of World War II there was still a great deal of prejudice
in America, and this extended to all the branches of the military.
Although black soldiers and seaman fought with dignity and bravery
during WW I, many thought that blacks were incapable of handling
difficult assignments. It was therefore with great uncertainty
and trepidation that the Army Air Corps authorized the training
of black pilots in 1941. The Air Corps proposed that a segregated
training program be established. Judge William Hastie, Dean of
the Howard University Law School, who was serving as a Civilian
Assistant for Negro Affairs to the Secretary of War, protested
about the segregated training, but his complaints were ignored.
Hastie also proposed that the Army consider affiliating with
the Tuskegee Institute which had already established a pilot
training program. The Army allocated $1 million for the construction
of the Tuskegee Army Air Field. The men sent to Tuskegee had
to pass rigorous physical tests and pass nine weeks of ground
school. They then received their basic flight instruction from
instructors with the Civilian Instructor Corps. Those who passed
moved on to more sophisticated military training for another
seventy hours of flight time. A third phase of advanced training
followed after which pilot cadets received their wings and were
appointed to an initial rank of either 2nd Lieutenant or Flight
Officer. Only about 60% of the cadets made it through the program,
and many were killed or injured in flying accidents during training.
Captain Noel Parish who oversaw much of the training at Tuskegee
was a vocal supporter of the men under his command. Despite their
ability to successfully handle the Air Corps training program,
considerable hostility was still evident and the Army was reluctant
to assign Tuskegee graduates to combat units. This created a
difficult morale problem for those who had earned their wings
and were now anxious to see combat. Finally, in the spring of
1943, the 99th Fighter Squadron headed for North Africa. In June
of 1943 the 99th finally saw combat flying P-40s. On July 2 Lt.
Charles Hall became the first black aviator to record an aerial
victory in WW II. The 99th played an important role in preparing
for the invasion of Sicily. The 332nd Fighter Group (under the
command of then Lt. Col. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.) consisting of
the 100th, 301st, and 302nd fighter squadrons entered combat
in Italy flying P-39s in early 1944. By mid-1944 the Group was
receiving P-47s, but in another about face the Air Corps quickly
substituted P-51s. At this time the 99th FS was folded into the
332nd FG. From mid-1944 until the end of the War in Europe the
Tuskegee Airmen of the 332nd FG flew an incredible number of
missions. They generally escorted Fifteenth Air Force bombers
on their attacks into Germany from bases in Italy. The red-tailed
fighters of the 332nd FG had the distinction of having a perfect
record – losing no escorted bombers to enemy fighter attack
during the entire War. In Stan Stokes’ painting, the P-51
piloted by Charles E. McGee, who would also go on to fly combat
missions in both Korea and Vietnam, is depicted over a Czech
airfield on August 24, 1944. On this mission McGee would down
an Fw-190. |