In this essay I will be writing about the Tuskegee Airmen who were the first ever black pilots in the American military (Redtail.org). Although the name Tuskegee Airmen is commonly understood to represent the black pilots, it is important to note that it was also used to refer to all people involved in the process of training African Americans to serve in the Air Force during World War II (Tuskegeeairmen.org). I was inspired to write about them because of my interest in World War II, and after reading about their stories I was eager to see what other information I could find. As I learned more I was intrigued by their constant struggle to earn respect from white Americans and their tenacity as they persevered through such a hostile environment. …show more content…
The Tuskegee Airmen were very well versed in a variety of aircraft. Some of these planes consisting of the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, Bell P-39 Airacobras, and the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt (Hualman 8). However, they are more commonly known for flying the P-51 Mustang (Haulman 6). The Tuskegee Airmen were comprised of two groups, the 332nd Fighter Group as well as the 477th Bombardment Group (Hualman 2). The 332nd Fighter Group consisted of the 100th, 301st and 302nd Fighter Squadrons and was the first black flying group in American history (Tuskegee.edu). They were commonly referred to as “red tails” because the pilots were known for painting the tails of their aircraft red (Tuskegee.edu). At first the group flew missions to patrol shipping lanes in the Mediterranean Sea (Hualman 10-11). However, they later flew in support of ground forces in North Africa and Italy (Hualman 10-11). The 477th Bombardment Group was comprised of the 616th, 617th, 618th, and 619th Bombardment Squadrons and was the first black bombardment group (Hualman 19). When the group was first established it was an all white bombardment group, but would later become predominantly black (Hualman 19). Unfortunately, the group would never deploy overseas or take part in combat due to prolonged training partially due to racial