Tuskegee Airman

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The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African American military aviators in the United States armed forces. During their years of operation, 1940 to 1946, 996 pilots were trained at Tuskegee Army Airfield. Approximately 445 were deployed overseas and 150 lost their lives during that period.  

These Black airmen flew double the number of combat missions as white pilots, they were poorly treated by fellow military members throughout their service. They continued to experience racism despite being newly included into the pilot program, according to Richard Baugh, son of Lt.