[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 17 (Wednesday, February 16, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1516-S1518]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. LEVIN (for himself Mr. McCain, Ms. Stabenow, Mrs. Dole, 
        Mr. Obama, Mr. Graham, Mr. Pryor, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Rockefeller, 
        Mr. Nelson of Florida, Ms. Landrieu, and Mr. Kerry):
  S. 392. A bill to authorize the President to award a gold medal on 
behalf of Congress, collectively, to the Tuskegee Airmen in recognition 
of their unique military record, which inspired revolutionary reform in 
the Armed Forces; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
Affairs.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, during the last Session of the 108th 
Congress, I informed my colleagues of my intention to introduce 
bipartisan legislation in the 109th Congress, to authorize the awarding 
of the Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the ``Tuskegee 
Airmen.''
  Congress has commissioned the gold medal as its highest expression of 
national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions. 
Today, I am pleased to be joined by Senators McCain, Stabenow, Dole, 
Obama, Graham, Rockefeller, Pryor, Ben Nelson, Landrieu and Kerry in 
introducing legislation, S. 392, that would bestow this great honor on 
the Tuskegee Airmen, in recognition of their extraordinary courage and 
unwavering determination to become America's first black military 
airmen.
  The Tuskegee Airmen were not only unique in their military record, 
but they inspired revolutionary reform in the armed forces, paving the 
way for integration of the Armed Services in the U.S. The largely 
college educated Tuskegee Airmen overcame the enormous challenges of 
prejudice and discrimination, succeeding, despite obstacles that 
threatened failure. What made these men exceptional was their 
willingness to leave their families and put their lives on the line to 
defend rights that were denied them here at home. Congresswoman Helen 
Gahagan Douglas of California, in remarks on the floor of the U.S. 
House of Representatives on February 1, 1946 summed it up this way:

       The Negro soldier made his contribution in World War II . . 
     . he has met the test of patriotism and heroism. We should be 
     especially mindful . . . remembering that he fought and shed 
     his blood for a freedom which he has not as yet been 
     permitted fully to share. I wish to pay him the respect and 
     to express the gratitude of the American people for his 
     contribution in the greatest battle of all time the battle 
     which decided whether or not we were to remain a free people. 
     The names of Negro heroes in this war are everlastingly 
     recorded among the living and the dead . . . in every combat 
     area, on land, on sea, in the air.

  Former Senator Bill Cohen, in remarks on the floor of the Senate 
decades later, in July of 1995, said: ``. . . I listened to the stories 
of the Tuskegee airmen and . . . the turmoil they experienced fighting 
in World War II, feeling they had to fight two enemies: one called 
Hitler, the other called racism in this country.''
  The superior record of the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II was 
accomplished by individuals who accepted the challenge and proudly 
displayed their skill and determination in the face of racism and 
bigotry at home, despite their distinguished war records. Prior to the 
1940s, many in the military held the sadly, mistaken view that black 
servicemen were unfit for most leadership roles and mentally incapable 
of combat aviation. Between 1924 and 1939, the Army War College 
commissioned a number of studies aimed at increasing the military role 
of blacks. According to The Air Force Magazine , Journal of the Air 
Force Association, March 1996, ``. . . these studies asserted that 
blacks possessed brains significantly smaller than those of white 
troops and were predisposed to lack physical courage. The reports 
maintained that the Army should increase opportunities for blacks to 
help meet manpower requirements but claimed that they should always be 
commanded by whites and should always serve in segregated units.''
  Overruling his top generals and to his credit, President Franklin 
Roosevelt in 1941 ordered the creation of an all black flight training 
program at Tuskegee Institute. He did so one day after Howard 
University student Yancy Williams filed suit in Federal Court to force 
the Department of Defense to accept black pilot trainees. Yancy 
Williams had a civilian pilot's license, and received an engineering 
degree. Years later, ``Major Yancy Williams,'' participated in an air 
surveillance project created by President Eisenhower.
  ``We proved that the antidote to racism is excellence in 
performance,'' said retired Lt. Col. Herbert Carter, who started his 
military career as a pilot and maintenance officer with the 99th 
Fighter Squadron. ``Can you imagine . . . with the war clouds as heavy 
as they were over Europe, a citizen of the

[[Page S1517]]

United States having to sue his government to be accepted to training 
so he could fly and fight and die for his country?'' The government 
expected the experiment to fail and end the issue, said Carter. The 
mistake they made was that they forgot to tell us . . .''
  The first class of cadets began in July of 1941 with thirteen men, 
all of whom had college degrees, some with PhD's and all had pilot's 
licenses. Based on the aforementioned studies, the training of the 
Tuskegee Airmen was an experiment established to prove that 
``coloreds'' were incapable of operating expensive and complex combat 
aircraft.
  By 1943, the first of contingent of black airmen were sent to North 
Africa, Sicily and Europe. Their performance far exceeded anyone's 
expectation. They shot down six German aircraft on their first mission, 
and were also the first squad to sink a battleship with only machine 
guns. Overall, nearly 1000 black pilots graduated from Tuskegee, 450 of 
whom served in combat with the last class finishing in June of 1946,. 
Sixty-six of the aviators died in combat, while another 33 were shot 
down and captured as prisoners of war. The Tuskegee Airmen were 
credited with 261 aircraft destroyed, 148 aircraft damaged, 15,553 
combat sorties and 1,578 missions over Italy and North Africa. They 
destroyed or damaged over 950 units of ground transportation and 
escorted more than 200 bombing missions. Clearly, the experiment, as it 
was called, was an unqualified success. Black men could not only fly, 
they excelled at it, and were equal partners in America's victory.
  A number of Tuskegee Airmen have lived in Michigan, including 
Alexander Jefferson, Washington Ross, Wardell Polk, and Walter Downs, 
among others. Tuskegee Airmen also trained at Michigan's Selfridge and 
Oscoda air fields in the early 40's. In the early 1970's, the Airmen 
established their first chapter in Detroit. Today there are 42 chapters 
located in major cities of the U.S. The chapters support young people 
through scholarships, sponsorships to the military academies, and 
flight training programs. Detroit is also the location of The Tuskegee 
Airmen National Museum, which is on the grounds of historic Fort Wayne. 
The late Coleman Young, former Mayor of the City of Detroit was trained 
as a navigator bombardier for the 477th bombardment group of the 
Tuskegee Airmen. This group was still in training when WWII ended so 
they never saw combat. However, the important fact is that all of those 
receiving flight related training--nearly 1,000--were instrumental in 
breaking the segregation barrier. They all had a willingness to see 
combat, and committed themselves to the segregated training with a 
purpose to defend their country.
  The Tuskegee Airmen were awarded three Presidential Unit 
Citations,150 Distinguished Flying Crosses and Legions of Merit, along 
with The Red Star of Yugoslavia, 9 Purple Hearts, 14 Bronze Stars and 
more than 700 Air medals and clusters. It goes without question that 
the Tuskegee Airmen are deserving of the Congressional Gold Medal. 
According to existing records, I am proud to say that 155 Tuskegee 
Airmen originated from my State of Michigan.
  In closing, I urge my colleagues in the Senate to swiftly act on this 
legislation, a most deserving honor and tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen. 
I also ask unanimous consent that the text of the legislation be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 392

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt overruled his 
     top generals and ordered the creation of an all Black flight 
     training program. President Roosevelt took this action one 
     day after the NAACP filed suit on behalf of Howard University 
     student Yancy Williams and others in Federal court to force 
     the Department of War to accept Black pilot trainees. Yancy 
     Williams had a civilian pilot's license and had earned an 
     engineering degree. Years later, Major Yancy Williams 
     participated in an air surveillance project created by 
     President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
       (2) Due to the rigid system of racial segregation that 
     prevailed in the United States during World War II, Black 
     military pilots were trained at a separate airfield built 
     near Tuskegee, Alabama. They became known as the ``Tuskegee 
     Airmen''.
       (3) The Tuskegee Airmen inspired revolutionary reform in 
     the Armed Forces, paving the way for full racial integration 
     in the Armed Forces. They overcame the enormous challenges of 
     prejudice and discrimination, succeeding, despite obstacles 
     that threatened failure.
       (4) From all accounts, the training of the Tuskegee Airmen 
     was an experiment established to prove that so-called 
     ``coloreds'' were incapable of operating expensive and 
     complex combat aircraft. Studies commissioned by the Army War 
     College between 1924 and 1939 concluded that Blacks were 
     unfit for leadership roles and incapable of aviation. 
     Instead, the Tuskegee Airmen excelled.
       (5) Overall, some 992 Black pilots graduated from the pilot 
     training program of the Tuskegee Army Air Field, with the 
     last class finishing in June 1946, 450 of whom served in 
     combat. The first class of cadets began in July 1941 with 13 
     airmen, all of whom had college degrees, some with Ph.D.'s, 
     and all of whom had pilot's licenses. One of the graduates 
     was Captain Benjamin O. Davis Jr., a United States Military 
     Academy graduate. Four aviation cadets were commissioned as 
     second lieutenants, and 5 received Army Air Corps silver 
     pilot wings.
       (6) That the experiment achieved success rather than the 
     expected failure is further evidenced by the eventual 
     promotion of 3 of these pioneers through the commissioned 
     officer ranks to flag rank, including the late General 
     Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., United States Air Force, the late 
     General Daniel ``Chappie'' James, United States Air Force, 
     our Nation's first Black 4-star general, and Major General 
     Lucius Theus, United States Air Force (retired).
       (7) Four hundred fifty Black fighter pilots under the 
     command of then Colonel Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., fought in 
     World War II aerial battles over North Africa, Sicily, and 
     Europe, flying, in succession, P-40, P-39, P-47, and P-51 
     aircraft. These gallant men flew 15,553 sorties and 1,578 
     missions with the 12th Tactical Air Force and the 15th 
     Strategic Air Force.
       (8) Colonel Davis later became the first Black flag officer 
     of the United States Air Force, retired as a 3-star general, 
     and was honored with a 4th star in retirement by President 
     William J. Clinton.
       (9) German pilots, who both feared and respected the 
     Tuskegee Airmen, called them the ``Schwartze Vogelmenshen'' 
     (or ``Black Birdmen''). White American bomber crews 
     reverently referred to them as the ``Black Redtail Angels'', 
     because of the bright red painted on the tail assemblies of 
     their fighter aircraft and because of their reputation for 
     not losing bombers to enemy fighters as they provided close 
     escort for bombing missions over strategic targets in Europe.
       (10) The 99th Fighter Squadron, after having distinguished 
     itself over North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, joined 3 other 
     Black squadrons, the 100th, the 301st, and the 302nd, 
     designated as the 332nd Fighter Group. They then comprised 
     the largest fighter unit in the 15th Air Force. From Italian 
     bases, they destroyed many enemy targets on the ground and at 
     sea, including a German destroyer in strafing attacks, and 
     they destroyed numerous enemy aircraft in the air and on the 
     ground.
       (11) Sixty-six of these pilots were killed in combat, while 
     another 32 were either forced down or shot down and captured 
     to become prisoners of war. These Black airmen came home with 
     150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, Bronze Stars, Silver Stars, 
     and Legions of Merit, one Presidential Unit Citation, and the 
     Red Star of Yugoslavia.
       (12) Other Black pilots, navigators, bombardiers and 
     crewman who were trained for medium bombardment duty as the 
     477th Bomber Group (Medium) were joined by veterans of the 
     332nd Fighter Group to form the 477th Composite Group, flying 
     the B-25 and P-47 aircraft. The demands of the members of the 
     477th Composite Group for parity in treatment and for 
     recognition as competent military professionals, combined 
     with the magnificent wartime records of the 99th Fighter 
     Squadron and the 332nd Fighter Group, led to a review of the 
     racial policies of the Department of War.
       (13) In September 1947, the United States Air Force, as a 
     separate service, reactivated the 332d Fighter Group under 
     the Tactical Air command. Members of the 332d Fighter Group 
     were ``Top Guns'' in the 1st annual Air Force Gunnery Meet in 
     1949.
       (14) For every Black pilot there were 12 other civilian or 
     military Black men and women performing ground support 
     duties. Many of these men and women remained in the military 
     service during the post-World War II era and spearheaded the 
     integration of the Armed Forces of the United States.
       (15) Major achievements are attributed to many of those who 
     returned to civilian life and earned leadership positions and 
     respect as businessmen, corporate executives, religious 
     leaders, lawyers, doctors, educators, bankers, and political 
     leaders.
       (16) A period of nearly 30 years of anonymity for the 
     Tuskegee Airmen was ended in 1972 with the founding of 
     Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., in Detroit, Michigan. Organized as a 
     non-military and nonprofit entity, Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., 
     exists primarily to motivate and inspire young Americans to 
     become participants in our Nation's society and its 
     democratic process, and to preserve the history of their 
     legacy.

[[Page S1518]]

       (17) The Tuskegee Airmen have several memorials in place to 
     perpetuate the memory of who they were and what they 
     accomplished, including--
       (A) the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., National Scholarship Fund 
     for high school seniors who excel in mathematics, but need 
     financial assistance to begin a college program;
       (B) a museum in historic Fort Wayne in Detroit, Michigan;
       (C) Memorial Park at the Air Force Museum at Wright-
     Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio;
       (D) a statue of a Tuskegee Airman in the Honor Park at the 
     United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, 
     Colorado; and
       (E) a National Historic Site at Moton Field, where primary 
     flight training was performed under contract with the 
     Tuskegee Institute.

     SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

       (a) Presentation Authorized.--The President is authorized 
     to award to the Tuskegee Airmen, on behalf of Congress, a 
     gold medal of appropriate design honoring the Tuskegee Airmen 
     in recognition of their unique military record, which 
     inspired revolutionary reform in the Armed Forces.
       (b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes of the award 
     referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury 
     (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') 
     shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and 
     inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.

     SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

       Under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, the 
     Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the 
     gold medal struck under section 2, at a price sufficient to 
     cover the costs of the medals, including labor, materials, 
     dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses.

     SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS.

       Medals struck pursuant to this Act are national medals for 
     purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

       (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be charged against the United States Mint Public 
     Enterprise Fund, an amount not to exceed $30,000 to pay for 
     the cost of the medals authorized under section 2.
       (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of 
     duplicate bronze medals under section 3 shall be deposited in 
     the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
                                 ______