HONORING LIVING LEGENDS
A Nebraskan's View by: Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson
Nebraska is honored to count 4 living legends among its citizens.
These men are true American patriots in every sense of the word. Their bravery during wartime is a fascinating story by itself but what gives them "Living Legend" status is their much broader achievement that extends far beyond heroism during war. These men helped America win the peace and defeat tyranny not only against a powerful foreign enemy but against powerful opposition from many of their own countrymen.
These are men who overcame prejudice and discrimination just to earn the right to serve their country. These are men who are to military aviation what Jackie Robinson is to major league baseball. These are the Tuskegee Airmen who not only achieved an impressive military record but paved the way for integration of the armed services in the United States.
Tuskegee Airmen is the term used to describe African American fighter pilots of the 99th Pursuit Squadron, later incorporated into the 332nd Fighter Group, who fought during World War II in the U.S. Army Air Corps. There were 926 Tuskegee Airmen. 66 died in combat. 33 were shot down and became prisoners of war. Survivors stay in touch through Tuskegee Airmen groups around the country. I'm pleased that 4 of these men live in Nebraska. They are the "Living Legends" I spoke of not just for what they did in defending America but for what they did in the struggle for civil rights and equality.
Prior to World War II, many in the military believed that African Americans would not perform well in combat and were incapable of flying. A study conducted in 1925 by the Army War College concluded that African Americans were inherently ill-suited for combat physically and psychologically. These beliefs were later proved to be completely erroneous thanks in large part to the Tuskegee Airmen.
This was wartime and African Americans wanted to serve their country so in 1941 the NAACP filed a lawsuit to force the Department of War to accept Black pilot trainees. Rather than wait for the lawsuit to run its course, one day after it was filed President Franklin D. Roosevelt overruled his top generals and ordered the creation of an all Black flight training program at Tuskegee, Alabama.
When First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt visited Tuskegee Army Air Field she insisted on taking a ride in an airplane with a Black pilot at the controls. She had a photograph taken and used it to convince her husband to activate the unit and in 1943 the Tuskegee Airmen entered into combat over North Africa.
There were many who expected the "experiment" to fail, however, that was not to be the case. Not only did it not fail it achieved an impressive combat record. German pilots both feared and respected the Tuskegee Airmen calling them the "Schwartze Vogelmenshen", or "Black Birdmen". White American bomber crews, who were protected by the Tuskegee Airmen's fighter escorts, reverently referred to them as the "Redtail Angels" because of the bright red painted on the tail assemblies of their fighter planes.
During 200 missions escorting B-17's, B-24's and British bombers, the Tuskegee Airmen never lost a bomber they were escorting to enemy fighters. No other escort unit could claim such a record. They are credited with destroying 261 enemy aircraft and damaging 148 during more than 15 thousand sorties and nearly 16 hundred missions over Italy and North Africa. They destroyed or damaged more than 950 units of ground transportation. When the war ended, the Tuskegee Airmen came home with 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, Legions of Merit and the Red Star of Yugoslavia.
We in Congress recognize outstanding achievements through the commissioning of Congressional Gold Medals. It isn't done often. Since 1776, approximately 300 awards have been issued. Recipients include Dr. and Mrs. Martin Luther King, Jr., Jackie Robinson, Rosa Parks, the Little Rock Nine and the American Red Cross.
I am proud to be a co-sponsor of legislation to honor the Tuskegee Airmen with a Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of their unique military record which inspired revolutionary reform in the Armed Forces. The 4 Nebraska residents who are Tuskegee Airmen are Lt. Col. Charles Lane (retired) of Omaha, Lt. Col. Harrison Tull (retired) of Bellevue, Robert Holts of Omaha and Lt. Colonel Paul Adams (retired) of Lincoln.
Despite their achievements these men are unassuming. At the prospect of receiving the highest honor that Congress can bestow, Mr. Lane said "we thought we were the best kept secret of World War II. This honor makes me feel very humble." Those are the words of one of Nebraska's Living Legends. He is one of 926 valiant men who fought two wars at the same time and won both of them.
http://bennelson.senate.gov/news/details.cfm?id=239336&&