tuskegee airmen

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Fighting to Fly

Educational Product

Educators & Students Lexile Level: 1010-1200L

Level

3

Lexile Ranges

Level 1: Less than 810

Level 2: 810-1000L

Level 3: 1010-1200L

Level 4: 1210-1400L
visiona

During World War II the United States Army 

Air Corps created the first fighter squadron 

in its history made up of Black military pilots. 

They became known as the Tuskegee Airmen. 

Their success in war overseas, and challenges 

faced at home, helped light the path toward 

equal rights for all. 

The story of the Tuskegee Airmen began in 

January 1941, when the U.S. War Department 

announced plans to send qualified Black men 

to Alabama for pilot training at Tuskegee 

University. Many within the Army Air Corps 

did not agree with the program. Although 

Black men had served in the U.S. military long 

before World War II, they were not allowed 

to fly airplanes. Many military leaders did not 

think Black men were smart enough to fly, even 

though Black pilots flew for France during 

World War I.

The first class of Black student pilots began 

training at Tuskegee on July 19, 1941. Twelve 

men were trained to become military pilots. 

Only five graduated on March 7, 1942. Those 

five were the first of nearly 1,000 Black men in 

44 classes who would receive fighter or bomber 

pilot training and graduate between 1941 and 

1946 at Tuskegee.

When America entered World War II following 

the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 

December 7, 1941, there was an urgent need 

to train new pilots to fly fighters and bombers 

in Europe. The Tuskegee pilots could help fill 

this need, but many military leaders still did not 

want to use them. The training at Tuskegee was 

considered an experiment, and many military 

leaders were sure the experiment would fail. 

However, the number of Black military pilots 

trained at Tuskegee continued to grow. By 

August 1942, enough had graduated to form a full 

fighter squadron of 33 pilots.

Fighter and bomber squadrons often had 

their names changed as they were moved 

around to different bases. The squadrons and 

groups in which the Tuskegee Airmen flew 

were no different. Eventually, all the units in 

which Tuskegee Airmen flew were gathered 

together as part of the 332nd Fighter Group. 

This Group included the 99th, 101st, 301st and 

302nd Fighter Squadrons. Fighter squadrons 

were responsible for many jobs during the war, 
ary

including dive bombing bridges, shooting at 

enemy targets on the ground, patrolling coastal 

areas and escorting bombers to protect them 

from enemy fighter attack. Squadrons included 

more than pilots. They included mechanics, 

cooks, doctors, nurses and others. Most of these 

duties also were done by Black men and women 

because the military kept Black and White 

people segregated from each other.

Tuskegee fighter pilots primarily flew four 

different types of aircraft. These included 

the P-39 Airacobra, P-40 Warhawk, 

P-47 Thunderbolt, and P-51 Mustang. Each 

of these aircraft had a single propeller. The 

P-51 Mustang was a favorite among the 

Tuskegee pilots. When they began flying the 

P-51 Mustang, they painted the entire tail red. 

Because of this the Black pilots were known as 

“Red Tails.” The name “Tuskegee Airmen” did 

not become popular until 1955, when a history 

of the famous group was published in a book 

called “The Tuskegee Airmen – The Story of the 

Negro in the U.S. Air Force.”

That story is one of brave heroes who fought 

for their nation’s freedom at a time when many 

citizens of that nation fought to keep Black men 

and women from enjoying the same freedoms 

they did. Retired Tuskegee Airmen remind 

people that skin color didn’t matter to an enemy 

who was shooting at you or your buddies. Sadly, 

skin color was still an issue in America, even as 

the “Red Tails” were proving they could do the 

job in Europe. In April 1945, at Freeman Field 

in Kentucky, 61 Black officers from the 477th 

Bombardment Group were arrested for trying to 

enter the base’s White’s only Officer’s Club. More 

Black officers were arrested a few days later for 

not agreeing with a rule that said there had to be 

separate Officer’s Clubs for Blacks and Whites.

In November 1945, a War Department 

committee presented a report to the U.S. Army 

Chief of Staff in which the record of the 332nd 

Fighter Group’s “Red Tails” was compared with 

three other P-51 squadrons flying in Europe. 

The report both praised and criticized the Black 

pilots. Parts of the report were confusing. For 

example, while White squadrons shot down 

more enemy fighters during bomber escort 

missions, the Black squadrons lost fewer 

bombers to enemy attack because they did not 

leave their bombers alone to chase the enemy 
fighters. The report also suggested the military 

find more ways for Black men and women 

to serve. The report did not ask for complete 

desegregation of the Army. It wasn’t until July 

1948 that President Harry S. Truman signed an 

executive order to desegregate the military, a 

big moment in civil rights history made possible 

by the Tuskegee Airmen.

Today, the program to use Black pilots is known 

as the “Tuskegee Experience.” All the men and 

women who served at Tuskegee Army Air 

Field in Alabama, or in any of the programs 

that were part of the “Tuskegee Experience,” no 

matter their sex or skin color, are thought of by 

the history books as Tuskegee Airmen. Some 

estimates say that number ranges from 16,000 

to 19,000 persons. 

The Tuskegee Airmen proved they were as 

good as any other group of fighter pilots during 

World War II. Together they flew more than 

1,800 missions, including 351 bomber escort 

missions. They recorded 112 aerial victories in 

which enemy aircraft, including three German 

jets, were shot down. Of the 996 pilots who 

graduated from the Tuskegee program, 352 were 

deployed overseas and 84 of those lost their lives.

Many historical accounts, including those by 

Tuskegee Airmen themselves, claim they never 

lost a bomber to enemy fire. This is a myth that 

began during the war when the public wanted 

good news, and others wanted to highlight the 

success of the Black pilots. War documents 

studied by Air Force historians show the 

Tuskegee Airmen lost 27 bombers during seven 

missions. Yet that number remains impressive 

considering the average number of bombers lost 

by the other six fighter groups of the Fifteenth 

Air Force was 46.

The Tuskegee Airmen was a successful 

experiment that helped the U.S. win the war in 

Europe, and led to the end of racial segregation 

in the U.S. military. Their example has inspired 

others to see beyond skin color and seek 

equality for all.

NP-2024-01-3230-HQ

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Headquarters

300 E. Street, SW

Washington, DC 20546

Educators! 

Guide/assessment files 

for this reader are at 

https://www.nasa.gov/

stem-content/

tuskegee-airmen/