Authorizing the President to Award A Congressional Gold Medal to the Tuskegee Airmen
AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT TO AWARD A CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL TO THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN -- (House of Representatives - February 28, 2006)
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Watt and certainly Mr. Rangel for their leadership on this, and Mr. Ney of Ohio for his leadership on this.
What an honor it is for me to stand here and to speak some words about the extraordinary contributions that the Tuskegee Airmen have made. Let me begin by simply setting the stage, because I think it is very important for us to understand the environment, the time that this activity happened in American history, for us to truly understand the significance of the Tuskegee Airmen. Let us go back for a moment to that time, and let us take a look at what was going on at that time.
In 1921, Benjamin O. Davis had early on, as one of our leading African Americans in the military, put forward the proposition that black men should be trained to fight, but yet there was great hesitation. As a matter of fact, the Federal Government issued a study which said that African American men were incapable, did not have the skill, the courage, the fortitude, and, in fact, they felt inferior to white people, so that they did not have the courage to do this, this at a time in 1921 when the first woman to even get a license to fly was an African American woman by the name of Bessie Queenie Coleman, and she flew as a daredevil.
Circle back to 1941. It was not until then that they gave the Tuskegee Airmen an opportunity at Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama, founded by Booker T. Washington.
And the story tells it all. For there is no greater story of freedom and American democracy than that story of the Tuskegee Airmen who, with bravery and courage, went and fought for the freedom of this country and the world while yet back at home African American citizens were second-class citizens.
So when we talk about the Tuskegee Airmen, it is more than just their flying. It is their extraordinary stand for courage in the face of difficulty. We salute the Tuskegee Airmen.
Mr. WATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time, and I will not take it all.
Mr. Speaker, I do want to note and pay tribute to what I am told are approximately 20 Tuskegee Airmen, who are still living and reside in North Carolina, and mention some of their names, from my congressional district two of them: from Greensboro, Harvey Alexander; from Salisbury, Fred Wilson. And from other parts of the State, I do not have all of their names, but I do want to pay tribute to the ones that I have: from Lenoir, North Carolina, George Shade; from Durham, William MacDonald and Dr. Stuart Fulbright; from Raleigh, North Carolina, my good friend Dr. Harold Webb, whom I have known forever, and Walter Chavis; from Smithfield, North Carolina, Hernando Palmer; and from Dudley, North Carolina, Wilson Eagleson, II.
I want to thank my colleague, Representative Rangel, again for taking the lead in putting all this together to make this a truly bipartisan recognition of truly heroic and brave airmen.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, let me just say it is a great day for the Tuskegee Airmen. It is a great day for the United States, and it is a shining day for this institution of the House.
I think that if you look at the quote from Langston Hughes, a great African American poet, ``Dream your dreams, but be willing to pay the sacrifice to make them come true,'' our veterans have done that historically throughout the history of this country, and the Tuskegee Airmen have done that.
Again, I thank Congressman Rangel for giving them the honor they so much deserve.
Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1259, authorizing the President to award a gold medal on behalf of the Congress to the Tuskegee Airmen. At a time when their country did not see fit to protect their rights, these brave young men nonetheless served valiantly on behalf of all American citizens.
During the Second World War, African-Americans were essentially second-class citizens in American society, and unfortunately this characterization did not end at the water's edge. Not permitted to train as aviators with their white comrades during World War II, 992 brave young men completed pilot training at Tuskegee's Moton Field, at the school founded by Booker T. Washington; 450 of these airmen were sent overseas for combat assignment, and 66 gave their lives during combat flights.
The Tuskegee Airmen populated the famed 99th Fighter Squadron and saw combat duty in North Africa. Others joined the 332nd Fighter Group, which flew missions from bases in Italy. Still others served similarly important roles as mechanics, gunners, and engineers.
Among these brave airmen are several individuals whose stories begin or end in the 12th Congressional District of New Jersey. As a young man, Robert Griffin worked at the local airport in Princeton, New Jersey, washing and refueling airplanes, earning just a few precious minutes of flying time per week. Though the Air Force would not train him as a fighter pilot due to his race, he eventually found a home at the Tuskegee Institute, becoming one of the first black flight mechanics. He later served in the U.S. Air Force after integration, and flew refueling and support missions for 13 years.
A current resident of Ewing, New Jersey--Retired Lieutenant Colonel Edward Harris--received his pilot's license from Tuskegee Institute and Tuskegee Army Air Base in 1944. He served 27 years in the U.S. Air Force and retired as commander of the 2017 Communications Group at McGuire Air Force Base. He subsequently served in the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, and currently resides in Ewing with his wife Delores.
Mr. Speaker, the Tuskegee Airmen are true testament to the selfless sacrifice and brave service that the U.S. Armed Forces seek to instill in its soldiers, sailors, and airmen. I rise in support of H.R. 1259, and commend all those who would stand tall for their country before their country would not stand tall for them.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1259. By authorizing the Tuskegee Airmen to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, we are not only recognizing an exemplary military record, but also strength of character in the face of prejudice and racism. The Tuskegee Airmen, a unit of 1,000 African American pilots, were America's first black military airmen. Trained at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Tuskegee, Alabama, these men had to overcome biased notions of their fighting ability.
After graduation from pilot training at Tuskegee, 450 members of the unit were sent overseas for combat assignments. These men saw extensive action, completing 15,000 missions between 1941-1946 without losing one American bomber during any escort mission. Collectively they earned more than 744 medals and their heroic service led to the greater achievement of integrating the U.S. Armed Forces--a watershed event in American history. Their brave actions broke forever the myths that allowed segregation, inequity and injustice toward African-Americans to exist in our military.
Today, the remaining survivors, now in their 80's, are role models to generations of young men and women both in and outside of the military. The Tuskegee Airmen persevered and by sharing their stories have taught generations of Americans about the high price of freedom.
They were dedicated and determined young men who came from every section of the country. I am particularly proud to recognize the 38 airmen who were from the State of Virginia, 10 of whom are still living. The living Virginia Tuskegee Airmen are Howard Baugh of Petersburg, Wiley Selden of Norfolk, Grant Williams of Hampton, Ezra Hill of Hampton, Francis Home of Hampton, Theodore Wilson of Roanoke, William Green of Staunton, Carl Johnson of Charlottesville, Augustus Palmer of Newport News and Floyd Carter of Norfolk.
These men served as trailblazers in the efforts to create equal rights and equal treatment for all people. It is my honor to thank them for their service, legacy and rich heritage.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
http://thomas.loc.gov