Black Wings Audio Tour

Black Wings Audio Tour

This podcast tells the story of the many significant contributions of African American members of the U.S. Air Force.

Episodes

Black Wings Tour: Integration of the Air Force

July 30, 2015 • 1 min
Stand near the exit of the World War II Gallery, where you’ll see the Integration display. In April 1948 Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Carl Spaatz announced that the Air Force would desegregate to improve its combat effectiveness, and in May 1949 the Air Force published regulations dismantling segregation. Men and women joining the Air Force from then on were assigned according to their ability and not race. An interesting ...
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Black Wings Tour: Engineer Aviation Battalions

July 30, 2015 • 1 min
Stand in front of the C-46, where you’ll see the Engineer Aviation Battalions diorama. Many African-Americans served in support units during World War II, and the Engineer Aviation Battalions, or EAB, with their skilled engineers and construction workers, were one of the more significant support units. The self-contained EAB became the core of aviation engineering efforts during the war. The original concept envisioned a sm...
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Black Wings Tour: Lt. Gen. Daniel James III

July 30, 2015 • 2 mins
Stand near the Tuskegee Airmen exhibit in the World War II Gallery. Daniel James III is the first African-American to hold the post of Director of the Air National Guard. He assumed that command in 2002 following a flying career that included more than 300 combat missions in Southeast Asia and 4,000 flying hours. He is the son of Daniel “Chappie” James Jr., who was the U.S. Air Force’s first African-American four-star general. ...
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Black Wings Tour: Gen. Daniel 'Chappie' James Jr.

July 30, 2015 • 1 min
Stand near the Tuskegee Airmen exhibit in the World War II Gallery. General Daniel “Chappie” James Jr. was born on Feb. 11, 1920, in Pensacola, Florida, where he graduated from Washington High School in June 1937. He attended Tuskegee Institute at Tuskegee, Alabama, from September 1937 to March 1942, where he received a bachelor’s degree in physical education and completed civilian pilot training under the government-sponsored ...
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Black Wings Tour: Lt. Gen. Benjamin O. Davis Jr.

July 30, 2015 • 1 min
Stand near the Tuskegee Airmen exhibit in the World War II Gallery. Benjamin O. Davis Jr., an aviation pioneer, is one of the most famous Tuskegee Airmen of World War II. Graduating from West Point in 1936, he became one of only two black line officers in the U.S. Army at the time - the other was his father. He received his wings in March 1942 after becoming the first black officer to solo an Army Air Corps aircraft. Flying...
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Black Wings Tour: Tuskegee Airmen

July 30, 2015 • 1 min
Stand near the Tuskegee Airmen exhibit in the World War II Gallery. The experience of the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II showed that given equal opportunity and training, blacks could fly in, command and support combat units as well as anyone. The USAAF’s black fliers, the so-called “Tuskegee Airmen,” served with distinction in combat and directly contributed to the eventual integration of the U.S. armed services. ...
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Black Wings Tour: Eugene Jacques Bullard

July 30, 2015 • 1 min
Stand in front of the Eugene Jacques Bullard exhibit in the Early Years Gallery. In August of 1917 Eugene Jacques Bullard, an American volunteer in the French army, became the first black military pilot in history and the only black pilot in World War I. After completing flight training, Bullard joined the 200 other Americans in the Lafayette Flying Corps, and he flew combat missions from Aug. 27 to Nov. 11, 1917. He distinguis...
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Black Wings Tour: Introduction

July 30, 2015 • 43 secs
I’m Tech. Sgt. Felita LaRock. Traditionally, Black History Month is observed during the month of February in the United States. At the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, we celebrate diversity in Air Force history year round. In addition to this audio tour, educational resources are available on our website, including a teacher resource guide and lesson plans, a list of books for beginner through adult readers, and other ac...
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