The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-09-02
Birth Of
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children and yet be expected to
fight Ike men?
These aic the question-markS
overwhelming the 477th Bombard-
ment Group now stationed al Tor
Saken and isolated Goldman Field,
Kv-the first Negro unit OF IFS KIND
in army history.
Those circumstances and the re-
sil,an, reactions which give rise TO
these questions are the subject OF
thiS and a series OF articles TO iol-
low. written from first hand ooser-
yaton and interviews by TINS cor
respondent at Goldman Field
To understand fully the impllca-
tors OF the facts. opinions and criti-
.cisus which Will be revealed IN
ms series one should know some
thing Of the historical background
of the Negro in the Air Forces.
Background of Group
No less an authority than Judge
william HASTE, former civilian aide
10 the Secretary of War, declared
in a statement accompanying his
resignation from that position on
February !. l943 1T should be UNI
derstood from the beginning the
Ar Command did not want Negro
personnel. Resistance bred OF that
attitude has been met ever since.
Moreover, even now, the Air Com
mand views the use OF the Negro
dis an experiment designed 10 de-
termine whether he can do this or
that in the field of aviation -. The
tragedy is that by not wanting the
Negro in the first place and by
doubling his capacity, the Air Com
mand has committed itself psyche
logically 10 courses OF action which
themselves become major obstacles
TO the success of Negroes in the Air
Forces
Back in 1910, the Air Forces au-
thorized 10 units % Aviation Squad
ron (Separate). They were Negro
units which served no specific mill
tary need. They never had defined
function. They performed odd jobs
Of common labor at air fields
Not until March, l94l. were appll-
cations accepted from Negroes for
aviation cadet training. Several
months later, actual-training began
at the segregated Tuskege Air base.
This training was limited to pursuit
flying-the mos: difficult flying job
in the army.
In spite OF handicaps, humilia-
tions and humbug, the Negroes who
entered and successfully completed
training as pursuit pilots went on
TO establish an envious record In
combat overseas
On September 2. 1913. the Assist
ant Secretary of War. John McCloy,
who was Acting Secretary OF War
on that day, announced in a press
conference that Negroes would
start cadet training as bombardiers
and pilots in B-26 Transition
school on October g. 1913.
BY December. l943. he promised,
training Of navigator and bombar-
der officers would begin. This
training was to last l8 weeks, after
which the trainees were 10 SO TO
gunnery school.
"All this training" the Acting
Secretary gave assurance, will be
with white students.
The Medium Bombardment Group
must be activated by July !, 1914,
with complete crews, he said.
On November Is, l943, the first
II Negro flying officers to receive
wings as tWir-engine pilots were
sent from TuSkegee and Selfridge
Field and assigned to the BIS Tran
sition school at Mather Field, Cal.
The Auth Bombardment Group
was organized and stationed at Sell
fridge Field in Michigan, near De-
trot in February, 1914. 1t was
placed under the command OF Col.
Robert Selway, who had been in
command of the training of the
fighter group turned over to Col.
Benjamin o. Davis Jr., and sent
overseas. Col. Selway is still in
command of the 477th.
Many Of the problems which now
exist at Goldman were born at Sell
fridge Field. The most noticeable
incident a. Selfrldge-excludlng the
shooting Of a Negro soldier by Col.
Colman, then base commander last
tall-Was the officer club incident.
That incident is explanatory Of
much that is happening today. Here
1t is as never revealed before:
The officers club at Selfridge was
at one time used by all officers.
white and colorcd When Col. Ben
jamin o. Davis Jr, then lieu
tenant colonel, was returned to the
United States from overseas and
assigned to the fighter group then
training at Selfridge, a reception
was given him in the officers club.
After the 477th was activated,
there was an occasion when three
Negro officers went TO the club and
ordered beer. They were served.
But while sitting at a table. white
major came up TO them and told
them they did not belong there. He
told them 10 leave One Of the three
officers informed the major that the |
club was for officers and gentlemen,
that they were officers and gentle
men. and that they saw no reason
10 leave