Pilots in America: Tuskegee Airmen and Women Airforce Service Pilots

It is interesting when analyzing the battle for equality throughout American history to look deeper into some of the groups and organizations that fiercely set out to change the face of the military forever. The Tuskegee Airmen are well known across the country, however the WASP or Women Airforce Service Pilots have gained little recognition for their accomplishments. Both of these radical organizations had the odds stacked against them and still managed to prove sceptics wrong. It is said, they were given a more rigorous training in order to ensure their failure, but they beat all odds and forced America and the government to accept their competence as pilots.

As the possibility of war became more of a reality the United States became increasingly desperate for pilots. In an effort to recruit as many potential pilots as possible the program accepted African Americans and women. While the Tuskegee Airmen were well known the WASP faced a different challenge. Even while in training the women were not allowed to inform anyone of what they were up to because of fear of their families’ reaction. It was believed that husbands, children, and parents didn’t want to think about their sweet girls flying planes and helping with the war in such a way (Military History Now, 2012). In the beginning, the white units did not want to fly with colored aviators of Tuskegee, but this was not their only opposition (). African Americans also opposed the plan because it allowed for segregation at a time when they were trying to establish their civil rights (Weebly, 2013).

“According to Roger McGrath, Chronicles Magazine author, the creation of the Tuskegee Airmen group was not intended as a move to desegregate but instead a political strategy for President Franklin D. Roosevelt. There was a growing “urban black community” in which Roosevelt wanted to ensure votes. Thus, he capitalized on this political opportunity by showcasing the Tuskegee Airmen (Weebly, 2013).

The government feared the use of female pilots would be used as propaganda against America in Japan, pointing out that America was so hard up that they needed to use women (YouTube, 2014). The government was ashamed and stamped the WASP records classified locking them away in government archive for 33 years, leaving them out of history books completely. The program was then disbanded in 1944 and the WASP was all but forgotten (YouTube, 2014).

Tuskegee Airmen were the first black military pilots in history and were openly credited for it (). When the women of WASP heard the Airforce announce in 1977 that 10 women had graduated, becoming the first female military aviators in history, the WASP made another push for their records to be released (YouTube, 2014). They felt as if they were being robbed of the credit they rightfully deserved. It was 33 years later that the public learned what they had truly accomplished and military recognition was given to the remaining survivors (Military History Now, 2012). The Tuskegee Airmen did not face as harsh denial, although in the beginning they were called the Tuskegee Experiment. There was no confidence that black Americans would be successful military aviators, hence the title “experiment”. In the end, they flew 200 combat missions and were known for their unparalleled success (History.com, 2009). The WASP is still practically unheard of to this day.

While training and completing military missions the WASP was considered a civilian organization despite them living in military barracks and conducting PT every morning (YouTube, 2014). They were active from 1942 to 1944 and flew 12,600 missions in all, piloted 78 different types of planes, and flew more than 60 million miles of missions (Military History Now, 2012). They were denied military honors, expenses for transport and burial of the dead, military retirement, and flags for the deceased’s coffins. Authorities went as far as to forbid the families of lost WASP members from displaying a gold star in the window, a symbol of a family member lost in the war (YouTube, 2010). Much of these restrictions the Tuskegee airmen did not face. WASP was finally granted these rights they were previously deprived of 40 years later, but one former WASP says nothing else mattered other than giving her fellow pilots a proper military burial (YouTube, 2010).

At the time, women and blacks were considered unequal to white men. I asked myself, who did the public see as less? Basically, who was the lesser of two evils? Women were considered incapable of men’s work and although the Tuskegee Airmen were men they were seen as an inferior race. On one hand you have a woman, on the other a man, but an African American. Through history, it appears that the black men were trusted slightly more than the white women of WASP, but this can be easily argued. Perhaps, it wasn’t entirely an issue of trust, but also a sense of protection. Women were supposed to be these delicate and helpless human beings, where the Red Tails, although seen as ignorant, were male and therefore were thought to be more capable of handling stressful and enduring situations. At first, people didn’t believe that women had the physical strength to handle a fighter or bomber (YouTube, 2014).

A testimony of a WASP pilot truly depicted the level of disbelief of the male pilots. She recalls a no fly day, the winds were blowing at 45 mph and the planes were grounded because they were being thrashed around in the air. The instructor looked at her and told her they were going up. I can only imagine her shock as I myself flew Cessnas and I can attest to how difficult it can be to control an aircraft in such weather, even a small one. He said to her, if you can’t fly a plane in 45 mph cross winds you can’t fly. So up she went. He shot a landing and then looked at her and told her it was her turn. He fully assumed she would fail and he could send her packing, but little lady had a point to prove. She shot a landing successfully. He thought she just got lucky so he made her shoot another. When they returned to the room where the others sat waiting her boyfriend, who was a fellow pilot, approached the instructor an asked, “Well, how’d she do?” the instructor replied with, “Did you know she could fly?” He was truly shocked. My favorite part of the film was when she spouted off saying that she had the determination of an ox that day and if he told her to fly a bathtub she could have done it (YouTube, 2014).

Although the missions of the groups were not alike, the progress they made for their respective race and gender were. The Tuskegee, also known as the “Red Tails” completed escort missions for heavy bombers to ensure their protection while traveling to and from their targets (). They became well known for their success and were personally requested by many units as an escort service. To make sure people knew who they were they painted the tails of their aircraft red, this became their distinguishing mark (Weebly). While active they had an astounding 100% success rate, never allowing the enemies to get through their defenses (History.com, 2009). The WASP on the other hand remained within the United States and conducted ferrying and other missions to free up men for service overseas. They would transport military aircraft between bases replacing those that were damaged or destroyed or simply moving an aircraft to where it was most needed (YouTube, 2010). There was no chance that they would ever be allowed to fly in battle, it was still unheard of for a woman to be trusted with a military plane. Yet, they still suffered 38 casualties (Military History Now, 2012). One WASP member stated that if she could help by releasing a man from his domestic service to help in the war effort that’s all she could hope for (YouTube, 2010).

Start up for these groups was not as simple as you would assume. Although the military was desperately in need of help they did not want to sink to the level of using blacks and women in their military. Eleanor Roosevelt actually played a surprising role in the initial beginning of these revolutionary organizations. She was quite the activist and during her husband’s time in office and was a significant player in the equal rights movement. On a trip to Tuskegee she jumped in a plane with pilot Charles “Chief” Anderson and took a 40 minute joy ride. Anderson was known as the father of black aviation because of his influence on black pilots and the number of men he trained from 1933 until his death in 1996 (National Park Service). Roosevelt knew that if others saw that she had confidence in a colored pilot than they would realize the capabilities of African American pilots (Weebly, 2013). WASP leader Jaqueline Cochrin arranged a lunch meeting with Mrs. Roosevelt to plead her case (YouTube, 2014). I assume she was hoping that the first lady would be compassionate as a woman herself. She was denied permission on previous occasions and faced denial once again, but she was persistent. She then went to Brittan to speak with General Arnold hoping for a shot, but the president only told her that in case he ever reconsidered or found himself in need of female pilots he would let her know, even referring to her as “a wee slip of a girl”. He didn’t believe they were capable of handling the bombers especially in unfair weather conditions (YouTube, 2014).

After the group had been approved General Arnold assumed they would only be flying small aircraft (YouTube, 2014). Cochrin set out to find the most capable of pilots, she couldn’t risk a failure because the reputation they were trying so hard to achieve would be forever tarnished. The Tuskegee Airman naturally took on a similar mindset. Knowing that they would be judged more harshly than others they put their men through a rigorous training and only took on the most dedicated individuals. The WASP had an initial test run with a small group of women, the most qualified the country had to offer. There were several requirements to be accepted into such a revolutionary group. Height and weight were a given, but you also had to have a minimum of 50 hours of experience and be at least 21 years of age or older. Additionally, you could not have any children under the age of 14 (YouTube, 2010). They recruited women by placing an ad in the newspaper. Some specifically went out to obtain their pilots license and meet the minimum hours so they could apply (YouTube, 2014). More than 25,000 women applied, but in the end only 2,000 were accepted into training and only half that made the final cut (Military History Now, 2012). Those who made the cut were sent to Sweetwater, TX for a 6 month training (YouTube, 2010), where the Tuskegee Airmen were sent to Moton Airfield in Tuskegee, Alabama. Tuskegee was an ideal site because of its year-round flying weather and available facilities and equipment. After the first graduating class from the Civilian Pilot Training Program in May 1940, the Tuskegee program was expanded and became the center for African American aviation during WWII (YouTube, 2010).

Once in, members of both programs still faced resistance. The flight surgeon in charge of pushing forward the medical paperwork for the WASP pilots intentionally sat on the paperwork. When confronted, he said that he didn’t believe women should be in the military (YouTube, 2014). One woman recalls showing up to take the written pilot’s exam and being tormented by the other testers, not allowing her in to the exam room (YouTube, 2014). In a repulsive quote by the editor of an aviation magazine, “The menace is the woman who thinks she ought to be flying a high speed bomber when she really has not the intelligence to scrub the floor of a hospital properly” when speaking of the Spitfire Sisters (YouTube, 2013). Major Sherman Joy referring to the Tuskegee Airmen stated, “You, people. Don’t you know how bad we treat you, people? Serving your country? This ain’t your country. Your country is full of apes and gorillas, malaria, missionaries…” (Weebly, 2013).

The WASP and Tuskegee Airman had to go through the same military training as the white male pilots, having to go above and beyond to prove themselves (YouTube, 2014). There was only one accident to occur within WASP. A beginning pilot still in initial training and a 3rd term advanced pilot collided in midair both being sent home and buried at the expense of their families. However, after being sent off to their duty stations 38 women lost their lives (Military History Now, 2012).

Within both organizations there were more than just pilots. The Tuskegee Airmen had 996 pilots and 15000 ground personnel (History.com, 2009). Within WASP all women were pilots, but were assigned different types of missions.

After years of dedication, President Harry S. Truman officially desegregated the United States Military when he put into place Executive Order 9981. The order stated that, "It is here by declared to be the policy of the President that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed forces without regard to race, color, religion or national origin." (Weebly, 2013). Both groups were pivotal in the advancement of military integration and left a mark in American history forever.