Library dedicates conference room to Tuskegee Airmen Published April 22, 2009 By Senior Airman Andrew Davis 375th Airlift Wing Public Affairs Office SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- The Scott Library dedicated a conference room Friday in honor of the Tuskegee Airmen. Clara White, the widow of Hugh White of which the St. Louis chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen is named after, cut the ceremonial ribbon. The conference room will feature updated artwork and a model of the planes the Tuskegee Airmen flew during World War II. The conference room is open to all Team Scott members and use can be coordinated through the Scott Library. The Tuskegee Airmen were an elite group of African-American pilots in the 1940s. They were pioneers in equality and integration of the Armed Forces. The term "Tuskegee Airmen" refers to all of the Airmen who were involved in the Army Air Corps program which was developed specifically to train African Americans to fly and maintain combat aircraft in the 1940's. The Tuskegee Airmen included pilots, navigators, bombardiers, maintenance and support staff, instructors and the personnel who kept the planes in the air. The primary flight training for these servicemembers took place at the Division of Aeronautics of Tuskegee Institute. The Air Corps built a separate facility at Tuskegee Army Air Field, Ala. to train the pilots. The Tuskegee Airmen not only battled enemies during wartime, but also fought against racism and segregation. They trained in overcrowded classrooms and airstrips and suffered from the racist attitude of some military officials. The Tuskegee Airman suffered many hardships, but proved to be world-class pilots. Even though the Tuskegee Airmen proved their worth as military pilots they were still forced to operate in segregated units and did not fight alongside their counterparts. The men earned the nickname "Red Tail Angels" since the bombers considered their escorts "angels." The planes they flew featured red paint on the propeller and tail. In March 1942 George Roberts, Benjamin Davis Jr., Charles BeBow Jr., Mac Ross and Lemuel Custis received silver wings of Army Air Force pilots. These men completed the standard Army flight classroom instruction and logged countless hours of flight time. Receiving their silver wings marked a milestone in being the first African Americans to qualify as military pilots in any branch of the armed forces. By the end of the war, 992 men had graduated from Negro Air Corps pilot training at Tuskegee; 450 were sent overseas for combat assignment. During the same period, about 150 lost their lives while in training or on combat flights. These Airmen managed to destroy or damage more than 409 German airplanes, 950 ground units, and sank a battleship destroyer. In addition they ran more than 200 bomber escort missions during World War II. For more information on the Tuskegee Airmen visit www.tuskegeeairmen.org. Some information courtesy of Air Force Link