The Red Tails: The Legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen, also known as the Red Tails, were the first African American pilots to serve in the United States military during World War II.
The Red Tails’ most significant mission was the escort of B-17 bombers on a bombing run over Berlin in March 1945. They flew through intense anti-aircraft fire, engaging German fighter planes and successfully protecting the bombers. This mission was a turning point in the war and helped to cement the Tuskegee Airmen’s legacy
Note: The Tuskegee Airmen were referred to as the “Red Tails” because of the unique markings on the planes they flew.
On Sunday, Lt. Gen. Brian S. Robinson, head of Air Education and Training Command, said in a statement: “The documented historic legacy and decorated valor with which these units and Airmen fought for our nation in World War II and beyond will continue on January 27,” among other reaffirming statements in the article.
The Tuskegee Airmen Are Not DEI, As Air Force Reinstates Curriculum On First Black Pilots
“We are hoping that this legacy will stay alive. We are working hard to make sure that it stays alive. If our children don’t know about the Tuskegee Airmen, that is a problem. We should never forget.”
In order to fully comprehend the magnitude and impact that the Tuskegee Airmen had on American history, one must study and be meticulous about details. It is important to consider race relations within the United States and the U.S. Military prior to the creation of this exemplary Black Air Squadron.
Tuskegee Airman and retired Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force, Herbert Carter, had this to say about how White America viewed the prospect of having Black men fly military aircraft. He said, “The false conception in America was that if you were black, you did not have the agility or the dexterity to operate something as complicated as an aircraft. As a matter of fact, there was a study made in 1925 at the Army War College in terms of what the utilization of the Negro would be in case there was another armed conflict. That study said, ‘Based on their performance in World War I the Negro had demonstrated that he was subservient, he was lackadaisical, he did not have the physiological or psychological ability for leadership. Therefore if there were another armed conflict he would be used for non-combatant positions.’”
(PBS Film on Tuskegee airmen (they fought two wars))
In 1941, the Army Air Corps created an experimental, all Black squadron of pilots to be trained in Tuskegee, Alabama. “In 1940, Congress passed the Selective Service and Training Service Act (“Act”), which was signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt in September 16, 1940. This Act, which was also known as the “Burke-Wadsworth Bill,” was the first peace-time draft in U.S. history. It required all American males between the ages of 21 and 35 to register for the draft. The final version of the bill contained two provisions, 3(a) and 4(a), which spoke to the discrimination question:
- Section 3(a) stated: “Within the limits of the quota determined…Any person regardless of race or color….shall be afforded an opportunity to volunteer for induction.”
- Section 4(a) stated: “In the selection and training of men under this Act, and in the interpretation and execution of the provision of this Act, there shall be no discrimination against any person on account of race or color.”
~About the Airmen (learned about the determined men and women who either enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps or served as civilian support staff in the “Tuskegee Experience.”
A LESSON IN BLACK EXCELLENCE AND BRAVERY
The racism and discriminatory treatment that the Tuskegee Airmen were subjected to was pervasive and systemic. It showed up in every aspect of their military experience, from the living quarters they were assigned to, to the equipment that they were given. In studying this story, one could easily become despondent, depressed, and discouraged. That’s if you concentrate your attention solely on the racial aspect of this story alone. I chose not to ignore the racism, but to look a little deeper. What I found was a fascinating chapter of Black history that is not commonly known or even talked about as much as it should be. There are things about the Tuskegee Airmen that seem to have been hidden from us by historians. Allow me to explain.
This Black history article is dedicated to the life and legacy of all the Tuskegee Airmen, but there is one that we especially honor today. His name is retired Lieutenant Colonel Harry Stewart, Jr.
In 1949, Harry Stewart, Jr. was part of the 4-man team that represented the 332nd to compete in the U.S. Air Force’s first aerial gunnery competition, the first ever “Top Gun” style war game. His team, which included U.S. Air Force Captain Alva Temple, 1st Lt. James Harvey, and 1st Lt. Halbert Alexander won the “Top Gun” prize despite flying in an obsolete aircraft. It was a win the Air Force essentially hid until 1995. (Credit to: Tuskegee Airmen and Legendary WW II pilot Harry Stewart dies at 100 – Military.com by Blake Stilwell, published February 4, 2025).
Many of us have watched the Top Gun movies made famous by actor Tom Cruise, but I don’t remember them ever mentioning that the first winners of the coveted “Top Gun” trophy were Black men. Do you?
“On Easter Sunday 1945, Harry Stewart, Jr. and his wingman, Walter Manning, were part of a mission to escort a B-24 Liberator bombing mission over St. Polten, Austria. They were both members of the 332nd fighter group, the famed Tuskegee Airmen. While the legend that they never lost a single bomber isn’t true, they were particularly good at their jobs; when the bombing mission ended, seven of the 332nd escort fighters flew on to hit targets of opportunity as the B-24s headed home.”
“As they flew the Danube River, nearly a dozen fighters appeared. In the dogfight that followed, Stewart would rack up three kills, and 10 of 12 enemy ambushers went down in all. But the Tuskegee Airmen lost two of their own. Manning was one of them. When all was said and done, Stewart would receive the Distinguished Flying Cross. Manning would be captured and lynched by enemy civilians.”
~Tuskegee Airmen and Legendary WW II pilot Harry Stewart dies at 100 – Military.com by Blake Stilwell, published February 4, 2025
“Stewart became an advocate for the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen. He played a vital role in their recognition, and the group received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007. In 2024, The National WWII Museum was proud to recognize the trailblazing Tuskegee Airmen with the American Spirit Award, the institution’s highest honor, for their accomplishments and patriotism in the face of discrimination.”
Harry Stewart Jr., Decorated Tuskegee Fighter Pilot, Dies at 100
Needless to say, the Tuskegee Airmen were brave and courageous Black men who loved the United States of America.
IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS DAVIS
Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., was the son of the first Black general in the U.S. Army, Brigadier General Benjamin O. Davis, Sr. Davis, Jr., who I will refer to from here on out as “Davis” was the fourth Black graduate of West Point Academy. For clarity’s sake, let me explain something. The Army Air Corps became the U.S. Air Force on September 26, 1947. So, Davis Jr. began his military career in the Army but ended it as an officer in the U.S. Air Force.
Prior to West Point, Davis attended the University of Chicago. During his junior year at West Point, Davis applied for the Army Air Corps but was rejected because the Army Air Corps did not accept Black people at the time (circa 1935). During his four years at West Point, Davis was isolated by his White classmates because he was Black. They refused to room with him, and so he remained alone. He ate by himself, and his classmates rarely spoke to him outside the line of duty. The intention of this campaign of silence was to drive young Davis to the point of quitting. Nevertheless, their foul treatment of this Black human being and fellow soldier had the opposite effect. Davis persevered in a big way. Davis graduated in June 1936, 35th in a class of 276. In June 1937, Davis attended the U.S. Army Infantry at Ft. Benning, Georgia. He was then assigned to teach military tactics at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. This was the same assignment his father, Davis, Sr. was given years before. It was a way for the Army to avoid placing a Black officer in command of White soldiers. (Credit: Wikipedia)
It is also noteworthy to mention that Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. became the commanding officer of the Tuskegee Airmen. Not long after their deployment in Europe, there were some legislators in Washington, D.C. that were skeptical and wanted to scrap the program. Davis was called to testify at Congressional hearings where he defended the Tuskegee Airmen with passion and zeal.
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD— HOUSE February 9, 2005
https://www.congress.gov/109/crec/2005/02/09/CREC-2005-02-09-pt1-PgH422-2.pdf – Pg. H424 – halfway down first column
ELEANOR ROOSEVELT WAS A FRIEND AND ALLY TO BLACK PEOPLE
Here’s an excerpt from Daniel L. Haulman’s article entitled: “The Tuskegee Airfields”:
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/article/0614tuskegee/
“In 1940, black pilots began training at Tuskegee Institute in the civilian pilot training program. For that purpose, the institute bought and improved a small private airfield called “Kennedy Field,” between four and five miles south of Tuskegee. The field was only 55 acres, and had no paved runways, but there were four small hangars, with Piper Cubs and Waco biplanes. Charles Alfred Anderson, called “Chief” by the other flyers because he was the chief flight instructor, led a team of seven flying instructors, which included three blacks and four whites.
“The most famous event ever to occur at Kennedy Field was March 29, 1941 visit by Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Chief Anderson took her for a flight, and she became an avid supporter of black flying training at Tuskegee Institute. Mrs. Roosevelt sponsored fundraising for the building of a larger airfield north of Tuskegee, where the primary phase of military pilot training could take place.”
It is important to point out that there were different phases to the flight training provided to these historic Black aviators. The first aviation class consisted of 13 men, but only five made it to the end. The class began in July 1941 and was completed nine months later in March 1942.
CELEBRATING “QUEEN BESS”
In the midst of telling this story during Black History Month, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the “first lady of Black aviation history” — Bessie Coleman. Bessie Coleman aka “Queen Bess” was the first Black person to earn an international pilot’s license in France on June 15, 1921. Here in America, Bessie became a “barnstormer” and stunt flyer. “Queen Bess” had strong principles that she adhered to. If Black people weren’t allowed to attend the air shows that she was scheduled to perform in, she would not perform – period!
Bessie Coleman was born to a Black mother and a father who was Black and part Cherokee Indian. Now I want you to reflect on Lt. Col. Herbert Carter’s comments about the 1925 Army War College report. Carter recounted portions of the study which said: “If you were black you did not have the agility or the dexterity to operate something as complicated as an aircraft.” I suppose our beautiful sister “Queen Bess” didn’t get that memo. Imagine, 20 years prior to the creation of the Tuskegee Airmen program, a Black/Indigenous woman was flying in air shows and doing amazing aerial maneuvers that some men were afraid to do. There are conversations that we need to have even today about the intersection of race and gender in America.
Sadly, Bessie Coleman’s flying career was cut short on April 30, 1926 in Jacksonville, Florida during an air show. In order to provide some insight into Bessie Coleman’s thoughts about race relations in America in the 1920s, I provide this quote from her:
“The air is the only place free from prejudices. I knew we (Black people) had no aviators, neither men nor women, and I knew the Race needed to be represented along this most important line, so I thought it my duty to risk my life to learn aviation…” Source: Wikipedia
THE LEGACY
Whoever studies the story of the Tuskegee Airmen will discover a group of proud, intelligent, articulate, and fiercely patriotic Black men. These Black men loved their country, but were often hurting inside because they knew that “the love” they felt for America was not reciprocated. Although they were met by racism everywhere they turned, there was one place where they were equal to their White counterparts and that was on the battlefield. The Tuskegee Airmen fought ferociously, they bled the same, and they died the same as White men. Their sacrifice must never be forgotten, minimized, or erased.
Tuskegee Airman, Captain Percy Sutton had this to say about the role of the Black press in regards to reporting during that time in history:
“The Black press was the only means by which Black people got to understand what was happening in White America or in America as a whole. Because the White press did not publish anything that was favorable towards Blacks back then. The Black press was a constant in Black households in America.” ~ Film: The Tuskegee Airmen – in their own words.”
After retiring from the military…“Percy Sutton became one of America’s best-known lawyers in the 1950s and ’60s, representing controversial figures such as Malcolm X. He became the highest-ranking African-American elected official in New York City in 1966, when he won election as president of the city’s Manhattan borough, serving until 1977. Sutton was particularly influential as the leader of the Harlem Clubhouse, which dominated 1960s Harlem politics.” ~CAF RISE ABOVE, https://cafriseabove.org/percy-ellis-sutton/
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We hope you enjoyed this story. There is much more to come. Black History month is not over yet.
Malik Washington is a freelance journalist and Director at Destination: Freedom and Destination Freedom Media Group
