Tuskegee Airmen Research Papers

Throughout WWII, both the 99th pursuit squadron and the 332nd fighter group, better known as the Tuskegee airmen, gained the nickname “Red Tailed Angels” for their success in aerial combat. During the years between 1939 and 1945, the Tuskegee airmen provided support for bombers in Italy, made support runs in the Mediterranean, and earned the respect from people all around the world (“Tuskegee Airmen Squadron Conducts Successful Missions during World War II”). This all happened while being the first all African American combat flight group. By 1945, the Tuskegee airmen had overcome racism and segregation and fought to integrate the military and several aspects of their daily lives, all while being successful and accomplished pilots . Between

During their 6 year career, the Tuskegee Airmen had the lowest loss of bombers throughout their 179 bomber escorts with a loss of only 25 bombers (“Tuskegee Airmen Squadron Conducts Successful Missions during World War II”). As they became more well know, people only thought of them as pilots. Alton Hornsby stated that “The name Tuskegee Airmen is used most often to refer to combat aviators, but the group also included bombardiers, navigators, maintenance crews, and support staff” (“Tuskegee Airmen”). This shows how the Tuskegee Airmen’s success was not only in combat but also in other aviation-related fields. Throughout the war, they destroyed over 262 aircraft, 950 land vehicles, and 41 boats, for these actions the Tuskegee Airmen were awarded over 866 military medals in total (“Tuskegee Airmen Squadron Conducts Successful Missions during World War II”). On March 29, 2007, 300 Tuskegee Airmen or their widows were awarded the congressional gold medal, the highest civilian award (“Tuskegee Airmen”). The medal is inscribed with the words “unique military record that inspired revolutionary reform in the Armed Forces.” The Tuskegee Airmen were awarded the medal for their achievements in combat that eventually lead to the desegregation of the