Tuskegee Airmen (circa 1942 - Aug 1943)
Who Were They? from Tuskegee Airmen National Museum
A Timeline detailing the foundation and accomplishments of the Tuskegee airmen in WWII
Key figures and dates to research and decide where the Tuskegee Airmen fit in the history of the Military and in U.S. History:
First air unit formed in 1907 as the “U.S. Army Signal Corps formed an Aeronautical Division”
Theodore Roosevelt the first president to have an air division
Eugene Jacques Bullard- The very first African American military pilot and the only to serve in the United States military in all of WWI
Rapidly increasing technology in aviation in the 20th century
The Tuskegee Airmen’s Foundation was in 1941
Military not desegregated until 1948 under Truman
United States Air Force not incorporated as a branch of the military until 1947
Received a 1945 unit citation from then President Truman but would not be recognized again until 2007 when George W. Bush awarded the congressional gold medal to the airmen nearly 60 years later.
Today still only 13% of the Airforce is represented by African American men and women
Lee “Buddy” Archer, Jr. the African American pilot with the most confirmed kills in combat who happened to be a Tuskegee Airmen deployed in Europe during WWII
Submitted by Jason Rivera, Fall 2023
Biographies of the members of the Tuskegee Airmen
Facts and Chronology from Tuskegee University
History.com- The Tuskegee airmen.
Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony, 2007
Mal Whitfield, 1948 Olympics
Mal Whitfield was an Airman and 3 Time Olympic Gold Medalist
Multimedia Resources
The Tuskegee Red-Tailed Angels from Smithsonian Channel
Wings for This Man, U. S. Army Film (1945) on YouTube
An interview with a surviving member of the Tuskegee Airmen. Discusses a movie called "Red Tails" that was made about the fighter pilots.
Tuskegee Airmen Documentary, By Lucasfilm
Who were the Tuskegee airmen?
Learning Plans
Learning Guide to The Tuskegee Airmen from Teach with Movies
See United States History II.21 for more on battles of World War II
Quiz Question: Why are the Tuskegee airmen so important to American military history?
Answer: the Tuskegee airmen defied the odds to become the first all black air unit at a time when the military believed African Americans were not smart enough to operate heavy war equipment. Not only did they prove this belief wrong but they were able to accomplish some pretty remarkable feats during the war including flying the longest bomber escort mission of the war into Berlin.