Political Pressure
In 1941, Congress forced the military to form an all-black unit. The War Department reluctantly agreed, and while trying to make it difficult to be successful, set high standards of previous flying experience. To their surprise, the United States Air Force did not have any problems filling the unit. Many of the airmen had previous flying experience from the Civilian Training Program for pilots, which was held at Alabama’s Tuskegee Institute. This program was started in 1939 and had produced a number of licensed pilots.
The Air Corps announced the formation of its first-ever black combat unit, the 99th Pursuit (later Fighter) Squadron. Reflecting contemporary American custom and War Department policy, Tuskegee's black aviators remained segregated in an all-black organization. The unit was to include 47 officers and 429 enlisted men; ground crews were to train at Chanute Army Air Field, Ill., while pilots trained at Tuskegee.
The Air Corps announced the formation of its first-ever black combat unit, the 99th Pursuit (later Fighter) Squadron. Reflecting contemporary American custom and War Department policy, Tuskegee's black aviators remained segregated in an all-black organization. The unit was to include 47 officers and 429 enlisted men; ground crews were to train at Chanute Army Air Field, Ill., while pilots trained at Tuskegee.
Tuskegee Institute, an African American college founded in Alabama in 1881 by the famed Booker T. Washington, participated in the Roosevelt administration's pilot training program (Civilian Pilot Training Program). Tuskegee produced its first graduated civilian licensed pilots in May 1940 and became the only source of black military pilots during WWII. The First Lady, Elanor Roosevelt, also supported the Tuskegee Airmen, and used her position to arrange a loan of $175,000 to help with the building of Moton Field.