First Black Pilot example essay topic

The Tuskegee Airman will always be the most influential air squadron during WWII. I believe this because there where a lot racist people that did not want them to succeed, but they did more than just succeed. They became the first black Airforce pilots. It all started when President Roosevelt arranged a meeting in September 1940 with three African-American leaders and members of the Army and Navy. During the meeting, the leaders emphasized three points: first, equal opportunity for jobs in the defense industry, second, impartial administration of the new draft law, and finally an opportunity for qualified blacks to learn to fly in desecrated units. A few days after the meeting, the War Department issued a policy stating that black men would be generally admitted into the armed force in numbers equivalent to their percentage in the civilian population.

It was not until a couple months after the meeting in December 1940, that the Army Air Corps submitted a plan for the experiment to establish an all-black fighter squadron. The plan was made official July 19, 1941 when Major General Walter Weaver, commander of the U.S. Army's Southeastern Air Corps spoke at the Tuskegee Institute Campus. It was then that 13 black men became the first black pilot trainees. Most of the trainees were college graduates, including a policeman, an army officer, a factory inspector, and several young men who were fresh out of college.

The men of this first squadron were so smart that they established a grade point average never equaled before or after their training. A few miles from the Tuskegee Campus, two air fields were built for the training of the new cadets. About six miles from the fields was the town of Tuskegee. It was very hostile toward blacks, especially its sheriff. The first trainer plane used by the squadron was the PT- 17.

It was a biplane with un retractable landing gear. The instructor rode with the cadet during the first practice, whether the trainee knew how to fly or not. Before the cadets could earn their wings, they had to complete three phases of the training. These were the primary, basic and advanced courses. In the primary and basic, the cadets would have ground school classroom courses and flying lessons. In the advanced, the cadets would concentrate on military flying.

On September 2, 1941, Captain Benjamin O. Davis Jr. became the first black man to officially solo an aircraft as an officer of the Army Air Corps. Soon afterward the United States declared war on the Axis powers. It was not until July 3, 1942 that the fourth class of the Tuskegee Institute graduated. The men of this class became the cadets that would fill the 99th squadron, which became the first black squadron of the Army Air Corps. Joining the pilots in the 99th were 14 other officers who provided support services and commanded the 35 enlisted men who serviced the planes.

In nine months to a year, they had mastered skills the Air Force said should require at least five years. The 99th then perfected their skills in the P-40, the plane they would fly in combat. After receiving word from their officers, in October 1942, the Inspector General of the Third Air Force said the 99th was in excellent condition and was ready for immediate departure. Finally on April 1, 1943, over a year after the graduation of the first class, word came "moving out".

The next day the 99th climbed aboard a train that would take them to New York where they would board a troop ship. While being at their first camp in Moved, Nij a they received their P-40 l War Hawks and were joined by white pilots who did not care for the color of their skin. The first missions using these planes were destroying ground targets and escorting bombers. While escorting bombers, they were ordered never to pursue an enemy. But on June 9, 1943, members of the 99th were escorting a group of 12 bombers. They were attacked by 4 German Me-109's.

Eight of the members stayed and escorted the bombers home. The other 4 pursued the Germans and almost lost the 99th's status as a battle-ready fighter squadron. The next year in the middle of January, the 99th moved to Capodichino Airfield, near Naples on the western coast of Italy. There the squadron supported the battle of Anzio. The 99th was then allowed to attack the Germans and made five kills. Then finally, the 99th got its action in the war.

They arrived in Italy in early February of 1944. Their first assignment was to patrol Italy's western coast. Then in late May, the 99th joined other fighter groups in General Eaker's 15th Air force at Ramit elli. It was not until June 9, 1944, three days after D-day that the 99th got their first important mission. The mission was to escort B-17 and B-24 bombers to destroy factories in Munich, Germany. As they neared Munich, they were alerted that enemy planes were approaching the bombers from the rear.

They were ordered to go get the enemies. They made five kills and had only one loss. The bombers accomplished their mission and told Colonel Davis when they got back to base that their formation flying and escort is the best they had ever seen. In that same month Lieutenant Gwynne Pierson and Captain Wend all Pruitt received the Distinguished Flying Cross for their never before seen kills. They sank two enemy destroyers with only bullets. Some people did not believe them but when the photos from the wing cameras were developed, they had no reason not to believe the two pilots.

The Allies were about to begin a new offensive in southern France, and planned to invade the region on August 15. Now that the war had moved north, the Allies needed southern French ports as entry points for troops and supplies. Assisting in the effort to reduce resistance to Allied invaders, the 99th escorted bombers sent to attack submarine docks, bridges, airfields, and radar stations. After a few months of duty they were honored in a full dress ceremony with the 15th Air Force band and troops passing in the review, four pilots were presented with the Distinguished Flying Cross. General Davis pinned the medal on his son, honored for his leadership of one of the first bomber escort missions to Munich, during which five enemy planes were shot down. During most of January 1945, the 99th was kept in by the rain and the snow.

The Squadron only flew 11 missions. The weather improved in February which led them to 39 missions. As the pilots flew around Germany, all they saw was smoke coming from the piles of debris. But it was not until 1948 that President Harry S. Truman issued an executive order. This order eventually ended segregation in the US military. The Tuskegee Airman were and always will be the most influential fighter unit during WWII.

They went through much opposition and many ignorant minds to prove that they were just as good if not better then any other fighter unit during the second world war.

Bibliography

Bil biography #1. Mckissack, Patricia and Fredrick Red Tail Angles United States: Walker Publishing Company, 1995.
2. Harris, Jacqueline The Tuskegee Airman New Jersey: Dillon Press, 1996.
3. Hart Philip S. Fly Free Minneapolis, Minnesota: Lerner Publications Company, 1992.
4. Rose Robert A. Lonely Eagles Los Angelos, CA: Tuskegee Airman Inc. #5. "Tuskegee Airman: A Brief History" Tuskegee Airman November 26, 1999.