In Their Own Words: The Tuskegee Airmen

In Their Own Words The Tuskegee Airmen tells the exciting and heroic story of America’s first black fighter group from the beginning, to the end. The story begins with the 1925 Army War College Study “The Use of Negro Manpower in War” and how it was used to deny black men the opportunity to fly in military service. The story continues with the origins of the program at Tuskegee, the reactions of pilot trainees to be given the opportunity to fly, and later follows pilots, support personnel, and their families into the skies of the European Theater. After personal stories from both a widow who lost her husband, and one of the 32 prisoners of war and his experiences, the story continues with the Airmen’s reaction to coming home to 1940s America. The events of the Freeman Field Mutiny are told by two men who experienced the racism firsthand, and denied to sign an order that stated they understood and accepted it. From there, the story continues with the issuing of Executive Order 9981 by President Harry Truman, which effectively desegregated the military, and how it opened doors for future generations. The story travels through the Civil Rights Movement to 2007 to the receipt of the Congressional Gold Medal and what it meant to so many of the surviving Airmen.