Discriminatory practices they experienced in the services. This is about 45 minutes. [applause] good morning. Fingers crossed, i am an aspiring naval aviator. I have the honor of introducing veterans of the first thecanamerican unit, Tuskegee Airmen. We have the pleasure of hearing from these dedicated and to determine the men. Including jim, a former radio operator. Anderson. R pilot cadet. And finally, stephen mccoy, chairman of the speakers bureau. Join me inome me welcoming these brave men of the gee airmen. Tuske [applause] good morning. I would like to thank the wonderful introduction. And i would like to go ahead and give her a round of applause. [applause] i would like to thank cadet nicole for her wonderful introduction of us. Hereuskegee airmen seated and i would like to welcome you s panel discussion. We wisho d we toshare our special thanks wes smith. I would like to start off with a brief introduction. Have ivanore you, you are and major anderson. They are representing the 16,00019,000 men who are part of the teske dmn story. As theften referred to uskegeee experience. It is any person who served at uskegee airfield. The experience was a unique and Important Development in Race Relations in the history of our country for lack citizens and the nation as a whole. It established, in 1941, the political and legal maneuverings americas of ability enlightened and challenged. The experience, it is necessary to be viewed in the context of the Racial Climate in america and the time it was executed. The impetus began at the beginning of world war ii. Result of black discontent. And specifically the denial of opportunities to serve our in jobsin a military other than service or labor. In the face of strong resistance from the military establishment and most officials in the war department, a relentless effort a number ofon by black organizations and a synthetic white ein already white minority to accept blacks in the Army Air Corps. Create a program in which blacks would be trained in military aviation. Alabama was selected to conduct the Flight Training for pilots. Designated 42s, began with 12 cadets and one military officer. Of the 13 students that begin the initial training, five graduated from the final ing and received their wings. On march 7, 1942. The first black u. S. Air force general was among the graduates. Second graduate was lieutenant curtis. Second lieutenant robert. Nd Second Lieutenant mack ros , one of the key evolutions to inting to this point was 1941. Eleanor roosevelt, at the andngs of her close friend social activist mary, moved to expand the program in tuskegee. She not only visited the field but incredibly, and against the advice of her secret service detail, she asked the chief Flight Instructor to take her on a flight. Act of flying the first lady for more than an hour had great symbolic value to the advocates for black military aviation. Teskeught a visibility to tuskegees Pilot Training program. The opened the door for the claimant black military aviation units to the european theater. They were still in segregated units. 2483 pilothere were trainees that entered training in tuskegee, alabama. Of which 992 graduated, earning their wings as pilots. From 19421946. There were 352 pilots that deployed to europe. And the p 47 p51he 51 mustang mustang. Personnel were recorded together in world war i barracks. Separated from the main base. Was provided a space to eat, sleep, and study. Onset, it was under the direction of a white staff and commanders. After a couple of missteps, the Army Air Corps chose a Brigadier General to command the unit. His knowledge of racial problems and concerns during his command of the base. He devoted his heart and soul to providing a fair opportunity for military aviation in the cadet trainees. Colonel parishs job was difficult. The waro comply with departments regulations requiring segregation. He had to maintain some level of hegregation to keep t bases population compliant. As well as the population of alabama. The cadets were subject to rigorous military training and discipline somewhere to that at military academies. The mental and physical stresses were designed to test each candidates respect for authority, commitment to duty, and honor. It prepared them for the biggers they would experience later in their military careers well in combat. While in combat. Colonel parish was able to remove the first doubts about black performance in the air corps. It was a resounding success. Blacks could be taught, trained, and maintainght aircraft to the same standards the air corps applied to all unit. Moving on to the combat record. Their achievements include the destruction of enemy aircraft. Traffic, ammunition depots, as well as the destruction of one destroyer by machine gun fire. The outstanding performance of armorers, andws, other technicians was tech critical to the success of these pilots in combat. To give you an idea how whileive they were, operating with the 12th air force, they flew 63 81 sorties. Excuse me, june, flewto may, 1944, they combat sorties in support of the 15th air force. Later, they flew escort missions, bomber escort. The key to remember with this is during that era, the loss of a single bomber was 10 men lost. The u. S. At that time could put together aircraft quickly. The loss of highly trained individuals to man and operate those aircraft in combat was the real loss. Fought toee airmen make sure that capability was maintained by war fighting forces. Were combat sorties 15,000. 112. Aerial kills were i would like to ask everyone here a question at this point in our presentation. Thatany of you have heard the Tuskegee Airmen never lost a bomber under their escort . Ok. Gentlemen . Education time. Ladies and gentlemen, i am here to tell you that the myth of never losing a bomber is false. Lostotal number of bombers while under escort by the teske airmen was 27 by the Tuskegee Airmen was 27. This is going by records on the enemy side and our site. , the number lost by 46 over theons was same. Of time. Even though they lost aircraft, the shows this shows they were above the standard of the typical p51 unit. 56 gave theots ultimate sacrifice and were killed in european and north african combat zones. Downionally, 32 were shut and captured and later repatriated. Note wasknown side that the air corps also had a Bombing Group made up of lack airmen black airmen. The trained black pilots, navigators, bombardiers, radio men, and Ground Support staff. On the operation and maintenance b25e be 25 bomber bomber. To thever deployed Pacific Theater due to the end of the war. I will touch on another aspect that does not get a lot of light. Visions. Ountry most of us womens contributions. Most of us see hollywood. In reality, it was different. As the Tuskegee Airmen fought, they were supported by a dedicated and often forgotten cadre of women. Nurses, mechanics, supply and ferry pilots. Secretaries. They nursed injured bodies and injured souls. They packaged and repackaged parachutes. For runways. Did many other duties to keep the base operational. Urgeblack activists president truman to descent rate military,gate the they pointed to the heroism of the red tails. Many of those personnel where women. The actions of black servicemen and server women servicewomen show they were eligible for the enjoyed by all races. The sheer stubbornness of her eleanornd visionary roosevelt without this, it is doubtful they would have come into existence or have been successful as they were. I have a few questions for the tuttleman on our board. For the gentleman on our board. Would like to ask mr. Pride to please come down. Mr. Pride is one of our distinguished ok, that is fine. Excellent. I would like to ask the first question. [laughter] mr. Fauntroy . Please give us one moment, folks. Ok. Auntry, where are you from . Washington, d. C. Where i was born several years ago. What was your inspiration when you first left home . We had an officer in the Police Department here. Who an allamerican football and basketball player. See i was interested in basketball. I idolized that gentleman. After my father, he was the greatest man i knew. He joined the teske airmen Tuskegee Airmen shortly after the war started. He was killed in an airplane accident in michigan. Inspiration. I was just 15 years old when the war started. By the time i turned 17, i had decided i didnt want to go to the navy. I went to the bus station where they recruited. In the army. With the permission of my mother, i asked if i could go into the Army Air Corps. They give me a test. Apparently, i passed it. To my mothers surprise. Went off to bullying field bowling field to take the tests. I was sworn in the Army Air Corps reserves. May of 1945, i was sworn into the Army Air Corps because i had march. 18 in tests. More passed and was i armyto teske tuskegee airfield. I stayed there until may of 1945. In class 45 i. When they found i was being trained. Thats not true, but thats what e like to think. I was able to go through three being trainedases as a pilot, and then the war ended. I was discharged. 8, 1945. Tomorrow is my anniversary. The main thing about my training is the gentleman who went before came back and taught me. My instructor in basic flying captain Leonard Jackson out of fort worth, texas. He taught me how to fly and do combat fighting, night flying. Crosscountry. And taughtame back me well. They taught us well. , myther claim to fame is de, after 20ri hours of flying, they are going to give you a test. It is for you to prove that you what your instructor was supposed to have taught you. Was withcheck ride chief anderson, who happened to have taken mrs. Roosevelt up. I did not know this until after i came out of the service. Man, was that a big deal when i found out that was the man who gave me my first check. I am very proud to be associated with the Tuskegee Airmen. All these gentlemen are idols of mine. To my young to you young people, my god. I did not do it alone. Thank you. [applause] i would like to ask, mr. Pride, what was your inspiration owing up . Were gr i am from washington dc. My inspiration was africanamerican newspapers. There would be a photo of a tuskegeemen. Airman. When i was 16 years old, i decided i wanted to be one of them. Like everybody else at that time, we all wanted to serve our country. 160country at the time was million people. 1 10 ofon went to war, them. I am proud to be a teske Tuskegee Airmen. Thank you, sir. Thank you. My next question is for dr. Are please tell us where you are from and also, did you dream of joining the military when you are young . If not, what inspired you to . What was the question again . [laughter] on joining them military when you are young . Not dream on joining the military when i was young. I found out my grandfather had been a military person in the civil war, but i found that out later. I had a military heritage. I was just unaware of that. I was in junior college, my sophomore year. That is when the war broke out. Guys wentclass of six down to the it wasnt a reception center, it was a place where you could sign up. We had not been drafted. We were enlisting the military services in the 1940s. There was nothing unusual. The way. That was most Young Americans reacted. We were all athletes. We played baseball, football. Mennormal things that young did, that is what we thought we were doing. The exception came when you completed high school. Ambitions y practically everybody had emissions to go on it was beyond high school. There were many problems. Not that many schools. Distance, to go some then you had to maintain yourself while you are going to school. I selected, not out of choice, to go to a junior college. Only seven miles from home. It gave you everything a regular college gave you academically. My sophomore year there, i got my call to active duty. It was an honor to me to join the enlisted reserve corps. We first started out because it first at about because there was a war going on. You want to do be a part of something. They said, no, get your college training. Get as much education as you can, and then you will be of more use to the service. I tried to do that. Year,r, in my sophomore my final year, i was called to active duty as an enlisted reservist. It was tuesday out until i completed my education it was tay out until i completed my education. Myself and the other for four gentlemen, we went down and reported for active duty. We had all joined the enlisted reserve corps prior. I was in the service about three weeks when they gave us an opportunity to ask questions and get whatever answers we needed. I wanted to find out how i could get from the army to the air corps. The answer was, forget it. That was the best advice they could have given me. There was no way to get out or change at that time. In a short time, i was on the Atlantic Ocean in november. We were fired on twice on our way to england. We landed there. The majority the ships made it through. We were not the exception. About five months in england, we were about ready to hit the channel. Finally, general eisenhower gave the order. The largest assembly of ships in the history of warfare and mankind took off and headed for france. I dont know what went on there. We were just standing in line, day after day, waiting for your outfit to be called. The third week, we got our call. We went to southhampton and boarded up to go to france. We did not know where we were going. Landingd at the primary point for american gis. There were several beaches, omaha and utah beach. The british had their beaches. We landed at utah. It was not a difficult thing as a young man to adapt to the military life. But we hadnding somewhat of a family history. My grandfather had been in the service. I didnt know too much about that. We were just responding to the things that went on around us. The rest of our bodies were signing up. Buddies were signing up. It was only natural to be a part of what was going on. I did not intend to be a professional military person. Foot after world war ii, coming back to school, i needed to have in order to not take a fulltime job. It was the governments package for gis. They would give you a certain amount of money but it was not enough. They took care of the payments to the school but you had to live off of 60 a month to rate month. A growing male or female for that matter would find it very afficult to manage on 60 month. I took rotc, which gave me additional money, another to make ends meet. With my military service which was just enough to make ends meet. It was something i enjoyed doing. Leadership. I realized when i was taking rotc, the tremendous leadership among the men i had served with. 7 young first sergeant, 2 years old, was our leader. Sort ofng i learned learning by experience. Having looked forward to a career in the forest. But once i got out of college and had a commission and examined my possibilities, used the experience i had, 3. 5 years toservice to start with go back in the service, not as a Staff Sergeant but a Second Lieutenant i knew all about Second Lieutenant by that time. It was not a difficult choice. I have never regretted it. I would recommend it to all of you. Im inspired as a lookout and see so many crisp young uniforms. I was not the neatest shoulder soldier. Automotiveedium maintenance company. If it had wheels on it, we could repair it. We did that for 2. 5 years in europe. But wenot win the war, made our Country Vision to the war effort. We were proud of that. Some of the edge was taken off when we got back to the states. We had to readjust to what we had left at the states. That is what everybody had to bear. It was not unusual. I think i have said enough. We need to hear from you, sir. [applause] my next question goes to major anderson. The good thing is, you never lose your rank, major. Please tell us where you are when did you, decide to get involved with the military . My name is major anderson. Major is my first name. [laughter] not a military rank. My parents gave it to me. I was born march 5, 1925. Which makes me 89 years old today. I am happy to be here with you today and to speak with you. The military, i dont think it is on. Washile in the military, i an enlisted personnel. I consider myself representing the enlisted men in the services. Camp,ll vividly in boot during world war ii, we called it basic training. In basic training, the man i fear the most was my sergeant. Officerscare about the or majors or kernels. Colonels. It was the sergeant. The sergeant said, private anderson, you dont address a noncommissioned officer as serve. Andersone, sergeant. That is what it was with me. Eligible men 18 and older were required to sign up for the draft. To be drafted into the military. 15. The war began, i was when i became 18, i signed up. Time, i was months drafted into the military. I began my boot training in mississippi. Boot camp, basic training. I was sent to illinois for Aircraft Maintenance training. For your information, the pilots tuskegee,e sent to alabama. They had the Tuskegee Institute for classroom study. Also a field for the islets to be trained. The listed personnel like myself went to a field in illinois not too far from chicago for our training. As an aircrafts sheet metal worker. Our occupation was to repair old holes. Bullet our job was to keep the plane flying. I was stationed in kentucky. Most of my time in the military was spent at the field in kentucky. 19441945. The unit of the group that i was 77thned to was the four 7th bomberoup 47 group. 477th bomber group never saw action. Before we completed our training, the war ended. We remained stateside during the war. I was discharged in 1945. That is my career with the military. Thank you. [applause] gentlemen, i have another question for each of you. What islike to ask you, your most vivid memory of serving in the military . I would like to start with mr. Pride. Go to pride, please. Wasy most vivid memory during Gunnery School. At central field, florida. We started off with shotguns, shooting skeet. During the training, we ended up shooting skeet out of the back end. Day, i made 50ar out of 50. I went back to the squadron. Off said, you have the day from Gunnery School because you did so well. You have kp tomorrow. [applause] [laughter] gunnery was something i enjoyed. That was one of the schools i finished. The other was radio operator, maintenance guy. I flew 1600 hrs during world war ii. Thank you. Thank you, sir. [applause] yourought roy europ most vivid memory. Solo. Me, they asked me to pull up into the field. Field, no runways, just a grass field. We pulled up. He stood on the grass and looked up at me. Go on up there and kill yourself. I took off. I knew what to do. I took off. Went through the pattern, came down. Bounced all over the place. Never landed, i just kept going. I came back and landed properly. He had taught me to do that. I pulled over to pick him up. He said, no, go over and kill yourself. That is one of the things i remember. Olo, foru so low s three more days, you have to shoot three more landings. I shot the three landings. , youe fourth a, they said are on your own. I am supposed to practice what they taught me. Believe me, that first hour of their, all i did was ride. There, first hour out all i did was ride and think how proud my mother would be to see her boy flying an airplane. [applause] . Dr. Ware the memory i cherish the most occurred when i was in korea. It was a night when i was assigned to be the officer of the day. Approaching, my responsibility to be in charge of the flight detail. Flagged detail. All of you know, handling the flag is a significant task. Ofy meticulous, carrying that responsibility. It turned out the headquarters for the air force and army are sidebyside. When he went up on top of the roof to lower the flag, each one had its own flag, they were on the adjacent ends. I can look across to the next building. Lieutenant whomy is doing the same thing i was doing. He was in charge of the flag detail, lower the flag. As played in the notes he played the notes, it struck me that i was the person representing all the people in korea. They were hard at work, doing their jobs. Was to safeguard the flag and represent them. Felt an unusual feeling. I cant really describe it. Down. Sing the flag come i may have held that salute a little longer than i have ever held a salute. It struck me we were many thousands of miles from home, doing our duty. That was significant to me. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, at this we will keep the program moving. I have a few brief comments i would like to make, and then we are going to close. We, the members of the east coast chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, thank you for joining us. I would like to stress that we are still in service to the country today. Our mission is to expose you to Education Opportunities specifically in the aviation realm. We have established a youth in program where we expose youth to Career Opportunities in aviation. We operate a flight school, Aircraft Maintenance facilities,