BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY : TUSKEGEE AIRMEN - AFRICAN AMERICAN FIGHTER PILOTS SECOND WORLD WAR : GOES INTO THE " HALL OF BLACK GENIUS "

The Tuskegee Airmen is the popular name of a group of African American pilots who fought in world was II formally they formed the 332nd fighter group and the 477th bombardment group of the United States Army Air Crops. In 1941 20th June it became the United States Army Air Force. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African Airmen Military Aviators in the United States Armed Forces. During the world war II African American in many US States were still subjected to the Jim Crow Laws. The American Military was racially segregated as with much of the Federal Government. The Tuskegee Airmen were subjected to Racial Discrimination both within and outside the army. Despite these adversities they trained and flew with distinction. All Black Military Pilots who trained in the United States, trained at Tuskegee, including five Haitians.

Although the 477th Bombardment Group trained with North American B25 Mitchell Bombers, they never served in combat. The 99th Pursuit Squadron  was the first Black Squadron and the first to deploy overseas to North Africa in April 1943 and later to Sicily and Italy. The 332nd Fighter Group which originally included the 100th, 301st and 302nd fighter squadrons was the first flying group. The group deployed to Italy in early 1944 in June  1944, the 332nd Fighter Group began flying bombers escort missions and in July 1944 the 99th Fighter Squadron was assigned to the 332nd Fighter Group which then had four fighter squadrons. The 99th Fighter Squadron was initially equipped with Curtis P40 War H

awks.