Imagine being a pilot in World War II. It is your job to protect the planes that drop bombs on the enemies, and that bomber pilot is counting on you. Suddenly, off the tip of your wing, you spot an enemy plane, but you know what to do! You dodge and weave, shooting until the enemy's plane is damaged and can't fly. You return to the bomber and finish your mission. That was close!
When World War II started in 1939, African-American pilots weren't allowed to train with white pilots. So it was a big deal when about 1,000 African-American pilots trained at an air base in Tuskegee, Alabama, between 1941 and 1946. The name of the city where the pilots trained is how the Tuskegee Airmen got their name. It was called “The Tuskegee Experiment”.
The Tuskegee Airmen did their jobs as well as any white pilots. After seeing how well the airmen did, other African Americans pushed harder for equal rights. Before the United States entered World War II, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) asked the U.S. government to allow African Americans to fly warplanes.
The military was then segregated, or separated by race. Because of this, the U.S. Army started a training program for African Americans only. The airmen got their training in Alabama at the Tuskegee Army Air Field and at an African American college called Tuskegee Institute.
The first Tuskegee Airmen graduated in 1942. Eventually 992 pilots graduated from the training program. They served in Europe and North Africa.
The Tuskegee Airmen were excellent pilots and flew missions where they looked for enemies and attacked them. But they later had another important job of protecting the big bomber planes that flew into enemy countries and dropped bombs. Without protection, the fat, slow bombers would get shot down and couldn't complete their mission.
They were known as the 'Red Tails' because the tails of their planes were painted a vivid red color. Because they were so good, the pilots of the bomber planes often asked specifically for the Tuskegee Airmen to fly with them and protect them on their missions.
The airmen received more than 800 medals for their outstanding service. In 1948, three years after World War II ended, President Harry S. Truman ended racial segregation in the military. After that African Americans served alongside whites.
One of these men was named Charles McGee. After earning his pilot’s wings on June 30, 1943, McGee became one of America’s first Black fighter pilots as part of the Tuskegee Airmen.
Brigadier General Charles McGee passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sunday morning, January 16, 2022 at the age of 102.
I had the most wonderful opportunity to meet Brigadier Gen. Charles McGee when he came to speak at our local public library in Maryland on February 24, 2018.
This photo was of the back of someone’s leather jacket who was there to hear him speak.
General McGee spoke about where he was born and where he grew up, and how he decided to join the military. He went around the country and spoke to people of all ages and encouraged them to have a career in the military as a pilot.
General McGee flew in 409 combat missions between 1944-1968, in 3 wars: WWII, Korea, and the Vietnam War. 130 missions were in WWII.
Pic 1: Music of a song about the Tuskegee Airmen
Pic 2: General McGee autographed his book for me (which I gave to a child in my class)
Pic 3: General McGee autographed a photo of him in the 322nd for me.
Pic 4: Picture I took of the General. What a distinguished gentleman!!