PEACHTREE CITY, USA – February is Black History Month, a celebration of African American achievement and recognition of the central role of blacks in United States history. Aventure would like to draw attention to the Tuskegee Airmen.
The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African American military aviators in the U.S. Armed Forces. They formed the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the segregated United States Army Air Forces of 1941. With the U.S. being drawn into World War II, it was decided to offer training to African Americans as pilots and mechanics. The new air base at Tuskegee, Alabama, became their training center.
The airmen flew over 15,000 sorties in Europe and North Africa during the war. Their impressive performance earned them over 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses. They made a pioneering contribution to the war and the subsequent drive to end racial segregation in the U.S. military.