NARRATOR: Deemed by the War Department
as inferior to whites and unable to handle the intricacies
of modern weaponry, black soldiers were
relegated to support roles.
Flying fighter planes was out of the question.
It was thought, over the objective of Hap Arnold, who
was in charge of the Air Corps at that time,
that blacks didn't have the ability
to do complicated things, or leadership, et cetera.
We knew that was wrong.
NARRATOR: Under pressure from the black press, the NAACP,
and even his own wife, President Roosevelt relented in 1939
and ordered the Civilian Pilot Training Program
to be opened to black students who wished
to become civilian pilots.
In December of 1940, the War Department
followed suit and appropriated $1 million
to build a suitable base to train
black airmen at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.
They called the effort to train these men an experiment.
The men bonded immediately, imbued
with a sense of common purpose and racial pride.
Although the Army didn't believe in our capability,
they didn't change the training standards.
And that was a plus for us that we
were able to meet the standards and perform successfully.
ROSCOE BROWN JR: And World War II
gave us a chance to go into combat units
and do a first-class job so that the larger
population would realize how silly and stupid
segregation was.
NARRATOR: In April of 1943, the first full squadron
of African American fighter pilots, the 99th Fighter
Squadron, received orders for deployment to the Mediterranean
Theater of Operations.
By June of 1944, the 99th had joined three other
all-black fighter squadrons.
Together, they comprised the 332nd Fighter Group, known to
history as the Tuskegee Airmen.
The 332nd continued flying escort for bombers
through the rest of the summer of 1944.
Their reputation for disciplined and effective fighter escort
grew.
"The Stars and Stripes," which was
a military newspaper that came out every day,
would talk about our missions.
And they would talk about the all-Negro 332nd
Fighter Group, and how they had protected the bombers,
and how we were doing such a great job
in protecting the bombers.
NARRATOR: The 332nd flew mission after mission,
protecting bombers of the 15th Air Force
as they struck railroad bridges in northern Italy
and oil refineries in Romania.
They were sent all over Eastern Europe
to strafe airfields and marshaling yards.
By war's end, the 332nd had downed 108 enemy aircraft,
received 744 air medals, 150 Distinguished
Flying Crosses, 14 Bronze Stars, and one Silver Star.
But despite the accolades for their efforts
overseas, the Tuskegee Airmen returned
to a segregated America indifferent
to their achievements.
I'm coming down the gangplank on the boat that
brought me back to the States.
And at the bottom of the gangplank
is a sign that said colored troops to the right,
white troops to the left.
Separated again.
And at that time, I said, well, you know, this is a pity.
NARRATOR: But the war efforts of the Tuskegee Airmen
would not be forgotten.
Our experience dispelled the myths and biases
that had been part of Army policy on our capability
and how we would be used.
So it brought about a change.
NARRATOR: In 1948, by order of President Harry Truman,
the Armed Forces of the United States were integrated.
The war record of the Tuskegee Airmen in the skies of Europe
had shaken the foundations of entrenched American racism.
This small but resolute group of African American men,
refined by hardship, danger, and adversity,
had proven the fundamental injustice
of a segregated military.
ROSCOE BROWN JR: You got to know inside that racism was wrong.
You got to know inside that you have the capacity,
like anybody else, and when given the opportunity,
you will overcome.
CHARLES MCGEE: We have accomplished
something important, once given the opportunity.
And the importance that this shows
that it's not happenstance of birth or color of skin
that's important.
That's really what Martin Luther King really gave our country,
content of character.