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Joint Base Andrews, MD (AFNS) – Three Tuskegee Airmen, along with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., convened at Joint Base Andrews on July 26 to mark the diamond jubilee of military desegregation. The ceremony also saw the official induction of a PT-17 Stearman, an iconic aircraft of the era, into the National Museum of the Air Force, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.
The gathering served as a tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen’s enduring legacy and highlighted their role in paving the way for service members to realize their full potential within the armed forces.
President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981 on July 26, 1948, bringing to an end 170 years of sanctioned discrimination by calling for the desegregation of the U.S. Armed Forces. This pivotal shift triggered ripple effects across American society, propelling it towards broader desegregation.
“If you got a dream, work on it no matter what it is. If a high school dropout can do what I’ve done, you can do whatever dream you dream about. I hope that message gets out to the young people.”
Tuskegee Airman William Fauntroy
The Tuskegee Airmen, renowned as the first all-Black American military aviation unit to serve during World War II, played a pivotal role in inspiring Truman’s transformative executive order.
The centerpiece of the commemorative event was the induction of the PT-17 Stearman. The aircraft holds a unique place in history as the initial training tool for many Tuskegee pilots during World War II, including retired Col. Carl Johnson. Today, just two of the PT-17 Stearmans used by the Tuskegee Airmen remain in existence.
In his address, Gen. Brown urged us to recall how the pilots who flew the PT-17 Stearman “started their journey to conquer the skies; ultimately changed our Air Force, our armed services, and our nation for the better.”
The installation of the PT-17 Stearman in the National Museum of the Air Force serves as a tribute to the resilience and determination of those who fought against discrimination and adversity to establish themselves as one of the most respected fighter groups in U.S. history.
Gen. Brown emphasized the profound significance of their achievements, stating, “Their progress is what made it possible for me to stand here today as the 22nd Air Force chief of staff.”
The Tuskegee Airmen, like Johnson, Fauntroy, and Lt. Col. Shelton Ware who were present at the event, not only paved the way for many to serve in the military but also set the stage for them to succeed and flourish.
Source: US Air Force
