Tuskegee Airmen

https://www.nps.gov/tuai/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_Airmen_National_Historic_Site Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, at Moton Field in Tuskegee, Alabama, commemorates the contributions of African-American airmen in World War II. Moton Field was the site of primary flight training for the pioneering pilots known as the Tuskegee Airmen. It was constructed in 1941 as a new training base. The field was named after former Tuskegee Institute principal Robert Russa Moton. Before the first African American military pilots became known as the "Red Tails" they wore striped tails as they began their flight training in the Army's PT-17 Stearman bi-plane. Their flying adventure started at Moton Field, in Tuskegee, Alabama, where the Army Air Corps conducted a military test to determine if African Americans could be trained to fly combat aircraft. To reach Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site... From Atlanta, GA - Take I-85S towards Montgomery, AL for approximately 127 miles to Exit 38. Turn left at the stop sign and travel 1/2 mile and turn left on Chappie James Ave. Follow the signs to the Parking Area on left. Follow the path downhill to the Historic Site. From Montgomery, AL - Take I-85N towards Atlanta, GA for approximately 36 miles to Exit 38. Turn right at the stop sign and travel 1/2 mile and turn left on Chappie James Ave. Tuskegee Airmen NHS Visitor Center The Hangar #1 Museum houses the Visitor Center and is open Monday-Saturday. Step inside the Orientation Room and be taken back to the 1940s through a re-creation of some of the sights and sounds of Moton Field. A 4-minute video that introduces the visitor to the Tuskegee Airmen. Here visitors can pick up a copy of the Park brochure and other printed materials including a JR. Ranger booklet. To reach Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site... From Atlanta, GA - Take I-85S towards Montgomery, AL for approximately 127 miles to Exit 38. Turn left at the stop sign and travel 1/2 mile and turn left on Chappie James Ave. Follow the signs to the Parking Area on left. Follow the path downhill to the Historic Site. From Montgomery, AL - Take I-85N towards Atlanta, GA for approximately 36 miles to Exit 38. Turn right at the stop sign and travel 1/2 mile and turn left on Chappie James Ave. The "Duchess Arlene" - flown by Robert Williams, Pilot class Red-Tail P-51D Mustang In Flight Exhibit One of the most beloved and recognized airplanes of World War II - North American P-51D Mustang Training Days at Tuskegee A World War II flight simulator and PT-17 bi-wing training plane Take a "Walk Back In Time" in Hangar #1 to see the faces and visit the places where cadets trained as America's first African-American military pilots and support crews. And There Were Women... Female Mechanic works on military aircraft Many are amazed to learn of the vital role women played as part of the Tuskee "Airmen" Experience. First Flight - Eleanor Roosevelt was the first First Lady to fly with a Negro Pilot. Small Yellow training plane used in the Civilian Pilot Training Prograj - J3 Piper Cub Visitors are surprised to see the small size of the airplane in which First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt took a flight with Negro Pilot Charles A. Anderson. History Lives at Moton Field Two airplane hangars - Hangar #1 in foreground and Hangar #2 in background at Moton Field. Come, experience the "power of place" where the Tuskegee Airmen blazed a trail that led to the civil rights movement.of the 1950's and 1960's. Tuskegee Airmen Who are the Tuskegee Airmen? Did they all come from Tuskegee? Were they really the first African American fighter pilots in the US Army Air Corps during World War II (WWII)? These are just some of the questions that visitors ask at the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, the birthplace of the Tuskegee Airmen. Yes, the Tuskegee Airmen fought in WWII. Several men sitting and standing in front of an airplane The Fundamentals of Flight A description of lift, thrust, and control, three elements for a successful flight. Illustration of aircraft showing principles of lift National Park Service Commemoration of the 19th Amendment In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment the National Park Service has developed a number of special programs. This includes online content, exhibits, and special events. The National Park Service’s Cultural Resources Geographic Information Systems (CRGIS) announces the release of a story map that highlights some of these programs and provides information for the public to locate and participate. Opening slide of the 19th Amendment NPS Commemoration Story Map Women in Fire Science: Alicia Schlarb Alicia Schlarb is the lead fire effects monitor for a portion of the National Park Service's Southeast Region. She and her crew provide prescribed burning, monitoring, and wildland fire responses to national parks located within Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and portions of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Florida. She loves fire and that she can change perceptions about wildland fire through science. Alicia Schlarb. Staff Spotlight: George McDonald Meet George McDonald, the Chief of Youth Programs and the Experienced Services Program Division. George oversees projects and programs that involve youth and young adults working at National Park Service sites across the country, primarily focusing on individuals 15 to 30 years old, and those 35 years old or under who are military veterans. These projects generally cover natural and cultural resource conservation. Learn more about him. George McDonald smiling at Grand Canyon National Park Staff Spotlight: Floyd Myers Meet Floyd Myers, who is the Chief of Business Development and Partnerships for the National Parks of New York Harbor. He was previously the acting Deputy Superintendent at Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park and worked at several other parks before that, including the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site, Selma to Montgomery National Historic Site, Booker T. Washington National Historic Site, and others. Floyd Myers in uniform

Tuskegee Airmen i Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site Alabama x National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Taking to the Sky On a warm July day in 1941,13 young African American men arrived at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama to begin their training as Army Air Corps pilots. They were a long way from earning their wings, and not all would make it, but the chance to try was itself a victory, something for which African Americans had long fought. Though they had exhibited ability and courage in military conflicts from the Revolutionary War to World War I, most African Americans were either denied the chance to serve or assigned menial noncombatant roles with no chance for advancement. Aviation cadets from the first class at Moton Field, with PT-17 trainers. The idea that they could meet the high standards of military aviation generated the fiercest resistance of all. In their training at Moton Field, however, and in combat during World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen conclusively demonstrated the skill, bravery, quick thinking, and coolness under pressure demanded of a combat pilot. As they had done so many times before, when finally given the opportunity, African Americans flew in the face of assumptions, proving they were equal to the task. "Our mantra was that we dared not fail..." The booming field of aviation in America was mostly closed to African Americans in the early 1900s, and they were entirely excluded from military aviation. Then in 1939, in response to growing international tensions, Congress passed the Civilian Pilot Training (CPT) Act, designed to turn out large numbers of pilots who could move quickly into military aviation if needed. CPT programs were established at colleges around the country. Through the efforts of the National Airmen's Association of America, an organization of African American pilots, six black colleges, among them Tuskegee Institute, and one private flying school were included. In May 1940 the first class of CPT pilots completed their elementary flight training at Kennedy Field, near Tuskegee. The program 332nd Fighter Group armorers load .50 caliber wing guns, 1945 During World War II more and more Moton Field mechanics were womeib. was so successful that it expanded to include more advanced CPT programs, becoming the center of African American flight training in the South. The U.S. Army Air Corps (AAC) still refused to allow African Americans to apply for flight training. Two important developments helped overcome its resistance: Public Law 18 of April 1939 required the AAC to contract with civilian flight schools for primary training of military pilots, and one of the schools had to train African Americans. The Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 prohibited discrimination in training for military service. This legislation, along with pressure from the black press and civil rights organizations and support from Eleanor Roosevelt, led to the establishment of the segregated 9 9 t h Pursuit Squadron in January 1941. .AF , , ' ., - ... **. " «**" Charles Qcvden, student abMoton in 1942 Tuskegee was chosen because of its success in the CPT program, its climate suitable for year-round flying, and the school's experience in conducting education in a segregated environment. The squadron would be made up primarily of African Americans training at two new air fields: Tuskegee Institute's Moton Field for primary training and Tuskegee Army Air Field (TAAF) for basic and advanced training. Since both of these facilities were segregated, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) opposed the plan. Others countered that segregated training was the best that could be hoped for at that time. Moton Field and TAAF were the sole training facilities for African American pilots throughout the war. They achieved what they did against a background of continuing racism and segregation in Tuskegee and at overseas bases. omnssiai AIRFIELDS Kennedy Field • Tuskegee Civilian Pre-Flight Training • 1940 Moton Field • Military Primary Training • 1941 Tuskegee Army Air Field • Basic & Advanced Training • 1941 Z 13 < o I The first graduating class; Capt. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. is 2nd from left. RED TAIL ANGELS jJDf the first class of 13 candidates who began training in july 1941, five survived the rigorous programs at Moton and TAAF to earn their wings on March 7, 1942. Four received their commissions as 2nd lieutenants. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., already an Army captain when he arrived at Tuskegee, was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and given command of the 99 th . As the nation stepped up the war effort and new classes rapidly completed the Tuskegee program its success spurred the AAC to form two more segregated units, the 332 nd Fighter Group (ini- tially made up of the 100 th , 301 st , and 302 nd fighter squadrons) and the 477 th Bombardment Group B-25 Medium. By the end of the war 992 pilots—later known as the Tuskegee Airmen—had bee