Travis AFB hosts Tuskegee Airmen for annual ball Published Oct. 5, 2011 By Mark Wilderman 60th Air Mobility Wing History Office TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The Lee A. Archer, Jr. Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. at Travis AFB will host the annual Tuskegee Airmen Fall Ball at the Delta Breeze Club on Oct. 22. The theme of this year's ball is "70 Years of Aviation Excellence -- Then, Now, The Future." The guest speaker will be Dr. Milton Chen, noted Fulbright Scholar who conducted research on diversity issues in education and author of "Education Nation: Six Leading Edges of Innovation in Our Schools." The book was selected as one of the top 10 education books of 2010 by the American School Boards Journal. About the Tuskegee Airmen Prior to 1940, African Americans were barred from flying for the highly-segregated U.S. military. The term "Tuskegee Airmen," history shows, refers to all who were involved in the World War II Army Air Corps program to train African Americans to fly and maintain combat aircraft, known as the "Tuskegee Experiment." The Tuskegee Experiment resulted in the formation of an all African-American pursuit squadron based at Tuskegee, Ala. in 1941. The Army Air Corps selected Tuskegee Institute, Ala., to train African-American pilots because it had already committed itself to aeronautical training in 1939, had the facilities, engineering and technical instructors and a climate for year-round flying. Tuskegee soon became the focal point for the training of African-American military pilots during World War II. The Tuskegee Institute received a contract from the War Department and provided primary flight training, while the Army Air Corps built a separate segregated base, Tuskegee Army Air Field, for advanced flying training. The Army Air Corps oversaw training at Tuskegee, providing aircraft, textbooks, flying clothes, parachutes and tools while Tuskegee Institute provided full facilities for the aircraft and personnel. Over 10,000 African-American men and women supported the Tuskegee Airmen during their training at Tuskegee, serving as flight instructors, officers, bombardiers, navigators, radio technicians, mechanics, air traffic controllers, parachute riggers and electrical/communications specialists. The first class of five cadets earned their pilot's wings in March 1942, becoming the nation's first African-American military pilots. Between 1941 and 1945, Tuskegee trained more than 1,000 African-American aviators for the war effort. After completing advanced flying training, the Tuskegee Airmen formed the 99th Fighter Squadron. The 99th was sent to North Africa in April 1943 for combat duty. They were soon joined by the 100th, 301st and 302nd African-American fighter squadrons to form the 332nd Fighter Group, commanded by Col. Benjamin Davis. The group flew successful combat missions over Sicily, the Mediterranean and North Africa. They were transferred to Italy in February 1944, where they compiled an outstanding combat record, specializing in protecting U.S. heavy bombers against enemy fighter attacks. In March 1945, the group flew a 1600-mile round trip bomber escort mission from Italy to Berlin without losing a single bomber, for which they were awarded the Distinguished Citation for "outstanding performance and extraordinary heroism." The group flew 15,000 sorties in approximately 1,500 missions, destroyed more than 250 enemy aircraft, sank an enemy destroyer and destroyed numerous enemy installations. Several pilots received numerous high honors, including Distinguished Flying Crosses, Legions of Merit, Silver Stars, Purple Hearts, Croix de Guerre and the Red Star of Yugoslavia. The Tuskegee Airmen also formed the 447th Bombardment Group, which did not see action in World War II. However, the men of the 447th staged a peaceful, non-violent protest for equal rights at their base on Freeman Field, Ind. The combat achievements of the African-American pilots proved conclusively that the Tuskegee Airmen were highly-disciplined and capable fighters, earning the respect of white bomber crews and military leaders. After World War II, many Tuskegee Airmen returned to a segregated America to fight for equality at home. The Tuskegee Airmen overcame strict segregation and racial prejudice to become one of the most highly respected fighter groups of World War II, facts also show. They proved beyond a doubt that African-Americans could fly and maintain advanced combat aircraft. Their achievements, together with the many men and women who supported them, paved the way for the desegregation of the U.S. military, beginning with President Harry S. Truman's Executive Order 9981 in 1948. The desegregation of the military was the first step in integrating American society. Several of the primary trainers used by the Tuskegee Airmen during their training in World War II are on display at the Travis AFB Heritage Center. The Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. is a non-profit organization with 50 chapters nationwide. For more information about the TAI, check their website www.tuskegeeairmen.org.