Why Bush Presented the Tuskegee Airmen with the Congressional Gold Medal

Who are the Tuskegee Airmen?: "The Tuskegee Airmen" is the popular name of the first group of African-American pilots to fly with distinction during World War II in the U.S. Army Air Corps.

Early Attempts Were Made to Sabotage the Concept of The Tuskegee Airmen: A series of legislative moves by the United States Congress in 1941 forced the Army Air Corps to form an all-black combat unit, despite resistance from the War Department.

In an effort to eliminate the unit before it could begin, the War Department set up tough requirements, which they believed would make the positions impossible to fill; they would accept only those with a particular level of flight experience and/or higher education. Their policy backfired, however, when the Air Corps received numerous applications from men who qualified, despite these tough requirements.

The Tuskegee Airmen Got Trained: In June 1941, the Tuskegee program officially kicked off with formation of the 99th Fighter Squadron at the Tuskegee Institute - a highly regarded university founded by Booker T. Washington in Tuskegee, Alabama. The unit consisted of pilots in addition to an entire service arm, which included ground crew. After basic training, the Airmen were placed under the command of Capt. Benjamin O. Davis Jr., one of few African-American West Point graduates.

The Tuskegee Airmen Aimed to Prove Themselves Fighting the Nazis: The Tuskegee Airmen fought the Luftwaffe across Europe, Africa and the mediterranean. Flying escort for heavy bombers, they established an impressive combat record, often emerging victorious after entering combat against greater numbers of superior German aircraft.

Reportedly, the Luftwaffe awarded the Airmen the nickname, "Schwarze Vogelmenschen," or Black Birdmen. The name reflected a recognition of their skill; by the end of the war, the Tuskegee Airmen were credited with 109 Luftwaffe aircraft shot down, a patrol boat run aground by machine-gun fire, and destruction of numerous fuel dumps, trucks and trains.

The Tuskegee Airmen Helped to Defeat the Nazis, But Fought Prejudice at Home: The Airmen were largely isolated by racial segregation practices. But rather than fail as expected, the Airmen combined pre-war experience with personal drive to provide the US Army Air Corps with some of the best pilots ever. But the Tuskegee Airmen continued to fight racism. Bush noted that "Even the Nazis asked why African American men would fight for a country that treated them so unfairly," adding that "These men...were fighting two wars. One was in Europe and the other took place in the hearts and minds of our citizens." Bush hoped to "atone for all the unreturned salutes and unforgivable indignities."

The Tuskegee Airmen Today: Many of the surviving members of the Tuskegee Airmen participate annually in the Tuskegee Airmen Convention, which is hosted by Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.

In 2006, the Tuskegee Airmen were collectively awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of their service and sacrifice to the United States during World War II. The official ceremony was held on March 29, 2007 in Washington D.C. "It's never too late for your country to say that you've done a great job for us," retired Col. Elmer D. Jones, 89, a maintenance officer during the war, said in an interview.