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Congressional Record—House H407

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Congressional Record—House H407 February 28, 2006 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H407 Ohio (Mr. NEY) that the House suspend General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., United Airmen, Inc., exists primarily to motivate the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2872, as States Air Force, the late General Daniel and inspire young Americans to become par- amended. ‘‘Chappie’’ James, United States Air Force, ticipants in our Nation’s society and its The question was taken; and (two- our Nation’s first Black 4-star general, and democratic process, and to preserve the his- Major General Lucius Theus, United States tory of their legacy. thirds having voted in favor thereof) Air Force (retired). (17) The Tuskegee Airmen have several me- the rules were suspended and the bill, (7) 450 Black fighter pilots under the com- morials in place to perpetuate the memory as amended, was passed. mand of then Colonel Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., of who they were and what they accom- A motion to reconsider was laid on fought in World War II aerial battles over plished, including— the table. North Africa, Sicily, and Europe, flying, in (A) the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., National succession, P–40, P–39, P–47, and P–51 air- f Scholarship Fund for high school seniors craft. These gallant men flew 15,553 sorties who excel in mathematics, but need finan- AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT TO and 1,578 missions with the 12th Tactical Air cial assistance to begin a college program; AWARD A CONGRESSIONAL GOLD Force and the 15th Strategic Air Force. (B) a museum in historic Fort Wayne in MEDAL TO THE TUSKEGEE AIR- (8) Colonel Davis later became the first Detroit, Michigan; MEN Black flag officer of the United States Air (C) Memorial Park at the Air Force Mu- Force, retired as a 3-star general, and was seum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I move to sus- honored with a 4th star in retirement by Dayton, Ohio; pend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. President William J. Clinton. (D) a statue of a Tuskegee Airman in the 1259) to authorize the President to (9) German pilots, who both feared and re- Honor Park at the United States Air Force award a gold medal on behalf of the spected the Tuskegee Airmen, called them Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Congress, collectively, to the Tuskegee the ‘‘Schwartze Vogelmenschen’’ (or ‘‘Black (E) a National Historic Site at Moton Birdmen’’). White American bomber crews Field, where primary flight training was per- Airmen in recognition of their unique reverently referred to them as the ‘‘Black military record, which inspired revolu- formed under contract with the Tuskegee In- Redtail Angels’’, because of the bright red stitute. tionary reform in the Armed Forces, as painted on the tail assemblies of their fight- SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. amended. er aircraft and because of their reputation (a) AWARD AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of for not losing bombers to enemy fighters as The Clerk read as follows: the House of Representatives and the Presi- they provided close escort for bombing mis- H.R. 1259 dent pro tempore of the Senate shall make sions over strategic targets in Europe. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- appropriate arrangements for the award, on (10) The 99th Fighter Squadron, after hav- resentatives of the United States of America in behalf of the Congress, of a single gold medal ing distinguished itself over North Africa, Congress assembled, of appropriate design in honor of the Sicily, and Italy, joined 3 other Black squad- Tuskegee Airmen, collectively, in recogni- SECTION 1. FINDINGS. rons, the 100th, the 301st, and the 302nd, des- The Congress finds the following: ignated as the 332nd Fighter Group. They tion of their unique military record, which (1) In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt then comprised the largest fighter unit in inspired revolutionary reform in the Armed overruled his top generals and ordered the the 15th Air Force. From Italian bases, they Forces. (b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For the pur- creation of an all Black flight training pro- destroyed many enemy targets on the gram. President Roosevelt took this action ground and at sea, including a German de- poses of the award referred to in subsection one day after the NAACP filed suit on behalf stroyer in strafing attacks, and they de- (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter of Howard University student Yancy Wil- stroyed numerous enemy aircraft in the air in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) liams and others in Federal court to force and on the ground. shall strike the gold medal with suitable em- the Department of War to accept Black pilot (11) 66 of these pilots were killed in com- blems, devices, and inscriptions, to be deter- trainees. Yancy Williams had a civilian pi- bat, while another 32 were either forced down mined by the Secretary. lot’s license and had earned an engineering or shot down and captured to become pris- (c) SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.— degree. Years later, Major Yancy Williams oners of war. These Black airmen came home (1) IN GENERAL.—Following the award of participated in an air surveillance project with 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, the gold medal in honor of the Tuskegee Air- created by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Bronze Stars, Silver Stars, and Legions of men under subsection (a), the gold medal (2) Due to the rigid system of racial seg- Merit, one Presidential Unit Citation, and shall be given to the Smithsonian Institu- regation that prevailed in the United States the Red Star of Yugoslavia. tion, where it will be displayed as appro- during World War II, Black military pilots (12) Other Black pilots, navigators, bom- priate and made available for research. were trained at a separate airfield built near bardiers and crewman who were trained for (2) SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.—It is the sense Tuskegee, Alabama. They became known as medium bombardment duty as the 477th of the Congress that the Smithsonian Insti- the ‘‘Tuskegee Airmen’’. Bomber Group (Medium) were joined by vet- tution should make the gold medal received (3) The Tuskegee Airmen inspired revolu- erans of the 332nd Fighter Group to form the under paragraph (1) available for display tionary reform in the Armed Forces, paving 477th Composite Group, flying the B–25 and elsewhere, particularly at other appropriate the way for full racial integration in the P–47 aircraft. The demands of the members locations associated with the Tuskegee Air- Armed Forces. They overcame the enormous of the 477th Composite Group for parity in men. challenges of prejudice and discrimination, treatment and for recognition as competent SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS. succeeding, despite obstacles that threat- military professionals, combined with the Under such regulations as the Secretary ened failure. magnificent wartime records of the 99th may prescribe, the Secretary may strike and (4) From all accounts, the training of the Fighter Squadron and the 332nd Fighter sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal Tuskegee Airmen was an experiment estab- Group, led to a review of the racial policies struck under section 2, at a price sufficient lished to prove that so-called ‘‘coloreds’’ of the Department of War. to cover the costs of the medals, including were incapable of operating expensive and (13) In September 1947, the United States labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and complex combat aircraft. Studies commis- Air Force, as a separate service, reactivated overhead expenses. sioned by the Army War College between 1924 the 332d Fighter Group under the Tactical SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS. and 1939 concluded that Blacks were unfit for Air command. Members of the 332d Fighter Medals struck pursuant to this Act are na- leadership roles and incapable of aviation. Group were ‘‘Top Guns’’ in the 1st annual Air tional medals for purposes of chapter 51 of Instead, the Tuskegee Airmen excelled. Force Gunnery Meet in 1949. title 31, United States Code. (5) Overall, some 992 Black pilots grad- (14) For every Black pilot, there were 12 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS; uated from the pilot training program of the other civilian or military Black men and PROCEEDS OF SALE. Tuskegee Army Air Field, with the last class women performing ground support duties. (a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— finishing in June 1946, 450 of whom served in Many of these men and women remained in There is authorized to be charged against the combat. The first class of cadets began in the military service during the post-World United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund, July 1941 with 13 airmen, all of whom had War II era and spearheaded the integration an amount not to exceed $30,000 to pay for college degrees, some with Ph.D. degrees, of the Armed Forces of the United States. the cost of the medals authorized under sec- and all of whom had pilot’s licenses. One of (15) Major achievements are attributed to tion 2. the graduates was Captain Benjamin O. many of those who returned to civilian life (b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—Amounts received Davis Jr., a United States Military Academy and earned leadership positions and respect from the sale of duplicate bronze medals graduate. Four aviation cadets were commis- as businessmen, corporate executives, reli- under section 3 shall be deposited in the sioned as second lieutenants, and 5 received gious leaders, lawyers, doctors, educators, United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund. Army Air Corps silver pilot wings. bankers, and political leaders. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- (6) That the experiment achieved success (16) A period of nearly 30 years of anonym- rather than the expected failure is further ity for the Tuskegee Airmen was ended in ant to the rule, the gentleman from evidenced by the eventual promotion of 3 of 1972 with the founding of Tuskegee Airmen, Ohio (Mr.
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