1. The Tuskegee Airmen
by: Lauren Malliband
“WE WERE FIGHTING FOR THE MILLIONS OF
BLACK AMERICANS BACK HOME. WE WERE
THERE TO BREAK DOWN BARRIERS, OPEN A
FEW DOORS, AND DO A JOB.” – JOSEPH
GOMER

2. Tuskegee Flying School
 Policy of segregation in military
 Stereotype of unintelligence and anti patriotism
 Complaints about training available
 Government created the 66th Air Force Flying School
at Tuskegee Institute
Set up strict restrictions assuming no one would qualify

 First aviation class July 1941
 Class of 13, 5 completed training

3. Tuskegee Flying School
 Only those who met the  1941-1946 994 pilots
strict standards accepted graduated
 No standards lowered  Some of the first
standardized tests used
 Trained for single-engine
(i.e. IQ, dexterity,
pilots, twin-engine pilots,
leadership)
navigators, or
bombardiers
 Enlisted trained for
mechanics, armament
specialists, radio repair,
etc. needed for ground
support

4. The 99th Squadron
 First group of men trained at the Tuskegee Institute
 Frustrated by inequality; voiced by African American
journalists
 Restricted to escort duties
 “success or failure would directly impact the future of
Blacks”
 450 of the pilots trained at Tuskegee served in the 99th
sent to Casablanca, Morocco
First

 Received Citation for good performance in combat in Sicily
 Then scolded as a failure and the pilots “cowardly”

5. Integration
 The 99th was paired with the 79th Fighter Group, an
all white squadron
 Integrated for the first time
 No longer escorts but bombing key German
strongholds

6. The 332nd
Photo of a briefing
origins
 July 4th, 1944 99th with
the 100th, 301st, and
302nd
 All were trained at the
Tuskegee Institute
 This was the 332nd
Fighter Group
 Continued to show their
ability and passion

7. By the end of the
war they were
awarded multiple
silver stars, 150
Distinguished
Flying Crosses, 8
Purple Hearts, 14
Bronze stars, and
744 Air Medals
This is a photo of a plane that the Tuskegee airmen
flew (p-51 mustang)

8. After the War
 Due to the abilities of the 332nd Fighter Group the
government came under some scrutiny for
segregation policy
 African American airmen were still discriminated
against in U.S.
Also by other Air Force units (except those who worked with

them)
 1948 President Truman ordered equality in all of the
Armed Forces, led to integration in America

9.  The Tuskegee Airmen were now
in high demand
After the War Taught civilian flying schools

After segregation

10. Tuskegee after the war
 Continued to accept  Advancement difficult
students until 1946 Caused frustration

 Women entered  Continued to work hard
 A lot of black men joined  1949 332nd Fighter
Group got first place in
 Still segregated to 332nd
the Air Force National
Fighter Wing and 477th
Fighter Gunnery Meet
Composite Group

11. References
 Brown, Avonie. “AFRO-Americ@: The Tuskegee
Airmen”. 02 May 2009
http://www.afroam.org/history/tuskmain.html.
 Gomer, Phyllis. Honor thy Father: A Tuskegee
Airmen. 02 May 2009
http://www.josephgomer.com.
 “Tuskegee Airmen”. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
20 Apr. 2009
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_Airmen.
 “Who were the Tuskegee Airmen?” Tuskegee Airmen,
Inc. 20 Apr. 2009
http://www.tuskegeeairmen.org/Tuskegee_Airmen
History.html.