Tuskegee << tuh SKEE gee >> Airmen were a group of African Americans who served in the Army Air Corps during World War II (1939-1945). The name Tuskegee Airmen is used most often to refer to combat aviators, but the group also included bombardiers, navigators, maintenance crews, and support staff. Members of the Tuskegee Airmen were the first African Americans to qualify as military pilots in any branch of the armed forces. Many became decorated war heroes. In 2007, the United States awarded the Tuskegee Airmen the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award given by Congress.
At the time of World War II, the United States War Department had a policy of racial segregation. Black soldiers were trained separately from white soldiers and served in separate units. They were not allowed into elite military units. In 1941, under pressure from African American organizations and Congress, the Army Air Corps began accepting Black men and admitting them into flight training. The men were trained at Tuskegee Army Air Base, near Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University), a college for Black students in rural Alabama.
The training program began in 1941. One of the first men to earn the wings of an Army Air Corps pilot was Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., who later became the first Black general in the U.S. Air Force. Davis commanded the 99th Pursuit Squadron, the nation’s first all-Black squadron, which trained at Tuskegee. The 99th operated in North Africa. Davis later commanded the 332nd Fighter Group, which also trained at Tuskegee. The 332nd became known for its success in escorting bomber pilots to strategic bombing missions in Europe.
Training at Tuskegee ended in 1946. A total of 992 pilots had graduated from the program. During the war, they were credited with the destruction of 261 German airplanes, while 66 of their own pilots were killed. The Tuskegee Airmen also had an excellent record for protecting bombers. The success of the Tuskegee aviators helped lead to a decision by the U.S. government calling for an end to racial discrimination in the military. Well-known graduates of the Tuskegee program include Daniel James, Jr., who was the first Black four-star general; and Coleman A. Young, who served as mayor of Detroit from 1973 to 1993. 
