The Tuskegee Airmen, a legendary all-black Army Air Corps unit, last week received the most prestigious recognition that federal lawmakers can bestow, the Congressional Gold Medal.
It was a long time coming, and well-deserved. To be sure, the barrier-breaking World War II group of pilots, navigators and support crew have been recognized in other circles.
Individually, they have earned medals for their stellar wartime performance. Last year, a stretch of Interstate 70 in Denver was named in their honor. Movies have been made about them. The airfield where they trained in Alabama is a National Historic Site. They even have a special issue GI Joe action figure made to commemorate their contributions.
But the Congressional Gold Medal is a prestigious honor that puts the airmen in the company of George Washington, Gen. John Pershing, Rosa Parks, Robert Kennedy and Mother Teresa.
About 300 of the surviving airmen, including a half-dozen from Colorado, gathered in the Capitol Rotunda for a poignant ceremony.
They heard praise from President Bush, former U.S. Army general and secretary of state Colin Powell, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who noted the group’s efforts to fight fascism abroad and racism at home.
“Today we come together to pay tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen, who, with planes and the power of their example, fought against both of these foes, foreign and domestic,” she said.
The airmen stand out for many reasons, but particularly so because their success came against all odds.
The Army Air Corps in the 1940s was still very much a segregated institution. Then- President Franklin Roosevelt created the all-black flight training program in the face of a lawsuit by the NAACP. It was widely assumed among those in the military establishment that the black recruits would quickly wash out. Instead, they became among the most feared pilots in the European theater.
Though six decades have passed, it’s never too late to honor such tenacity, bravery and achievement. In a world where real heroes are few and far between, it’s a pleasure to salute the airmen of Tuskegee.
