The Tuskegee Airmen- War Heroes and Civil Rights Heroes

In order to commemorate this Memorial Day, I recently talked with a few American heroes. They are remembered by the red tails of their planes but primarily known for their courage. They are the Tuskegee Airmen.

The Tuskegee Airmen   are well known for combating stereotypes. As America was evolving in terms of equality and civil rights, war broke out. The bravest men were needed and people of all ethnicities heeded the call including Mr. Dabney Montgomery and Mr. William Johnson.

Mr. Johnson experienced a lot of racism during his early life that he said forced him to grow up at an early age. Later, at 16 years old Mr. Johnson was in high school when America entered World War II.  Mr. Montgomery was drafted as a young man.  Both of them joined the new Tuskegee program, which was based out of Tuskegee, Alabama. The program consisted of African Americans who wanted to be a part of the Air Force and put them into a training program in Tuskegee for one year. At the end of the   year 445 pilots as well as several ground crews were sent to Europe. Mr. Montgomery ended up being stationed in southern Italy. 

During training the recruits were given weekends off and allowed to go to Atlanta, Georgia. On the bus ride from the army base to Atlanta, in his full army uniform, Mr. Montgomery was forced to sit in the back of the bus unlike when he was at the base and equal to everyone else.

After several small missions the Airmen were finally assigned to defend bombers as they flew across Germany. The bombers recognized and appreciated the bravery of the pilots protecting them.

The pilots were not the only members of the Tuskegee Airmen; the ground crew was just as important. Mr. Johnson, told me that early on in the war, an enemy pilot found the base and the ground crew had to take him out. The ground crews were not only mechanics but also soldiers that defended their base.

 After the war Mr. Montgomery went on to provide security for a man with whom he shared a godmother with, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. During the march from Selma to Montgomery Dr. King was protected by this man.

When I asked the Tuskegee Airman what it is like to be a part of history, Mr. Johnson responded with a humble answer. He said, ‘It just happened to us. There had to be change. We had to literally fight for equality. We knew we were a part of something’.

A study conducted by the army in 1918 stated that African Americans were inferior to Caucasians both mentally and physically and were therefore incapable of serving in the army. The Tuskegee Airmen had to prove this wrong with everything they did. They knew that they had to literally fight for equality and they had to be the best at what they did to be accepted.

The Tuskegee Airmen fought bravely and were eventually awarded 3 Distinguished Unit Citations, 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 14 Bronze Stars, 744 Air Medals and Eight Purple Hearts. The Airmen I spoke to are not just members of history but living history. Mr. Johnson told me several times that we have to learn from our past to create a better future. The Tuskegee Airmen fought for civil rights and equality as well as for America.