COMMENTARY | It's virtually impossible to imagine a segregated American military today, but the armed services of the U.S. were racially segregated until the middle of the 20th century. An upcoming George Lucas film called "Redtails" will tell the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, according to IMDB.com. President Barack Obama invited surviving members of the unit to the White House for a special screening of the film on Friday, a week ahead of the movie's release, according to the Associated Press. It's a richly deserved honor.
The Tuskegee Airmen were the first group of black fighter pilots in American military service, according to History.com. Formed in Tuskegee, Ala., they were officially the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing. They flew more than 15,000 missions and won many Distinguished Flying Cross medals for their service. Their combat record was nothing short of extraordinary.
The History Channel describes the unit in an episode of its series Dogfights by saying it was thought the men would be too stupid to master combat aircraft. The naysayers could not have been more wrong. The episode highlighting them is available online and through Netflix. They flew like eagles and, to German dismay, had talons just as sharp. It's thrilling to watch reenactments of their air battles. I can hardly recommend it highly enough.
The tragedy of this unit is detailed in that television documentary, saying that when these heroic pilots returned home they were met with the same kind of bigotry they faced before the war. Coming down the gangplank from the ship that returned him home, one pilot saw only a sign telling him "coloreds to the right, whites to the left." As a present-day American such bigotry is inconceivable to me. It makes one wonder if it upset the pilots more than the Germans had.
It's understood today that the color of one's skin has no bearing whatsoever on a person's ability to serve in uniform. The courageous members of the original Tuskegee Airmen were faced with the challenge of proving to the world around them, very prejudiced against people of color at the time, that they were as good as any pilots. Their service and accomplishments in combat did so beyond their wildest dreams. Their accomplishments deserve honor and recognition. It's gratifying to see them receive it.
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