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African American
Related: About this forumTuskegee Airman reflects on all-black unit's founding 75 years ago
Source: Reuters
World | Mon Mar 21, 2016 11:38am EDT
Tuskegee Airman reflects on all-black unit's founding 75 years ago
BY KIA JOHNSON
Seventy-five years after the founding of the all-black Tuskegee Airmen, one of its most decorated pilots says the pioneering unit showed African-Americans' fighting worth at a time of deep racial discrimination.
Retired Colonel Charles McGee, 97, said he and fellow members of the 99th Fighter Squadron had no hesitation about fighting during World War Two and showing white America that black aviators could do the job.
"They say 'African-American' or 'black,' but we're American and our country was at war," McGee told Reuters.
"We were just as interested in supporting that effort as anybody else at that time and so we turned our back on the fact that there was segregation."
McGee's unit was formed on March 22, 1941, as the first all-black aviation unit of the racially segregated U.S. armed forces.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Tuskegee Airman reflects on all-black unit's founding 75 years ago
BY KIA JOHNSON
Seventy-five years after the founding of the all-black Tuskegee Airmen, one of its most decorated pilots says the pioneering unit showed African-Americans' fighting worth at a time of deep racial discrimination.
Retired Colonel Charles McGee, 97, said he and fellow members of the 99th Fighter Squadron had no hesitation about fighting during World War Two and showing white America that black aviators could do the job.
"They say 'African-American' or 'black,' but we're American and our country was at war," McGee told Reuters.
"We were just as interested in supporting that effort as anybody else at that time and so we turned our back on the fact that there was segregation."
McGee's unit was formed on March 22, 1941, as the first all-black aviation unit of the racially segregated U.S. armed forces.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-tuskegee-idUSKCN0WJ2YE
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Tuskegee Airman reflects on all-black unit's founding 75 years ago (Original Post)
Eugene
Mar 2016
OP
Jackie Wilson Said
(4,176 posts)1. Imagine being so patriotic that you put your country first.
No greater example than that.
Kind of Blue
(8,709 posts)4. Yes, Sir!
If I still lived in my old hometown, Bethesda, Md., I'd find him and ply him with questions But with a big Thank You to start off. A beautiful man!
MADem
(135,425 posts)2. I love this part of our history for its illustration of the triumph of talent and
dedication over adversity and hatred.
I hate that it had to happen in the first place on a number of levels.
Real heroes.
Kick-n-rec.
JustAnotherGen
(31,856 posts)3. He's awesome!
Thanks for posting this!
Kind of Blue
(8,709 posts)5. Thanks, Eugene!
He is inspirational.
sheshe2
(83,846 posts)6. What an amazing man.
Love the pic of Colonel Charles McGee.
Thanks Eugene.
BlueMTexpat
(15,370 posts)7. Lovely article, Eugene!
What an amazing group!
ismnotwasm
(41,998 posts)8. K&R