09/30/2026
World War II Across America’s National Parks: Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site
In 1941, the U.S. Army Air Corps established a program in Tuskegee, Alabama, to train African American military pilots. Primary flight training took place at Moton Field, followed by basic and advanced flight training at Tuskegee Army Airfield. The program eventually produced 994 pilots who earned their wings, along with thousands of other men and women who served as mechanics, navigators, bombardiers, nurses, parachute riggers, and in other essential roles.
The Tuskegee Airmen served in units including the 99th Fighter Squadron and the 332nd Fighter Group, which included the 100th, 301st, and 302nd Fighter Squadrons. They went on to serve overseas in North Africa and Europe, flying combat and es**rt missions during World War II. Their service challenged racial assumptions within the military and demonstrated what African American service members could accomplish when given the opportunity to serve.
But while the war was being fought overseas. The Tuskegee Airmen also faced segregation and discrimination at home. In 1945, members of the 477th Bombardment Group were stationed at Freeman Field in Indiana. That April, 101 African American officers refused to sign a statement acknowledging a regulation enforcing segregation at officers’ clubs and were taken into custody. The Freeman Field events became an important part of the history of the Tuskegee Airmen and their efforts to challenge segregation within the military. Their experiences reflected the World War II-era “Double V” campaign: victory against fascism abroad and victory against racial discrimination at home.
The World War II Across America's National Parks series continues with the theme of “The War at Home,” highlighting the people, places, and stories that show how World War II transformed life across the United States.
Look to the home front for the next post, brought to you by Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park.
Photo: Black-and-white historical photograph from left to right are R.M. Long (instructor), George Roberts, Bemjamin O. Davis Jr., Charles, Mac Ross, and Lemuel Curtis. (U.S. Air Force)
