Meet Charles A. "Chief" Anderson, the lead instructor at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama in World War II. This American gave the famous Tuskegee Airmen their first taste of flight.
March 12, 2021
Col. Benjamin O. Davis (left), commanding officer of the 332nd Fighter Group, and Edward C. Gleed, group operations officer, stand in front of a plane in Ramitelli, Italy, in March 1945.
Toni Frissell, Library of Congress // No Known Restrictions on Publication
The first Black pilots to serve in the United States military along with the navigators, mechanics, instructors, and other personnel who supported them are today remembered as the Tuskegee Airmen. Established in 1941, they built an impressive combat record, helped the Allies win World War II, and put the U.S. armed forces on the road to integration.
1. The Tuskegee institute trained the country’s first Black military pilots.
By Rachel Kersey, 502nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs / Published February 03, 2021
U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Wendell Snider (right), 502nd Air Base Wing and Joint Base San Antonio command chief, poses for a photo with his wife of 22 years, LaShae, after an interview at JBSA-Randolph Jan. 19. The U.S. Air Force joins the millions of Americans celebrating Black History Month 2021 by honoring the history of African Americans in the military and considering ways to move forward in unity for the future.
U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Wendell Snider (not pictured), 502nd Air Base Wing and Joint Base San Antonio command chief, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, was raised by his aunt Essie Orange (right) after his mother passed away when he was nine.