Tuskegee Airmen: A legacy of love

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Mareshah Haynes
  • Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON (AFNS) --  (This commentary is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series on AF.mil. These stories and commentaries focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story.)

Last week I had the opportunity to learn about some Air Force history as well as family history.

There was a screening of a new documentary about the Tuskegee Airmen that was produced, by George Lucas, in conjunction with his feature film called "Red Tails." I was especially excited to see the documentary because my paternal grandfather was a bombardier in World War II and an original Tuskegee Airman.

This was one of the most exciting times in my Air Force career. The screening was at the Pentagon and it was billed as a red-carpet event, stars included. Cuba Gooding Jr., one of the stars of the feature film and the narrator for the documentary, was there along with the Secretary of the Air Force.

And then there were the big stars -- two original Tuskegee Airmen.

I had been waiting just about my entire Air Force career to meet another Tuskegee Airman besides my grandfather. It seemed that every time a group of then would come to my area something like a temporary duty assignment or a deployment would come up. Now, here they were, right in front of me live and in living color -- William Broadwater and Lemuel Lewie Jr.

I'm not going to lie; I was excited to meet Cuba Gooding Jr. and Secretary Donley. But those two men, those Air Force pioneers and civil rights leaders, were the ones I had been waiting for.

I listened to their stories about how they entered the Army Air Corps, and I thought about how my grandfather probably went through some of the same experiences they did. I looked into the eyes of the 92-year old Lewie as he told me about the trials he had to go through as a black man to become a pilot, and I thought those eyes probably saw the same struggle as my grandfather's eyes.

I listened to Broadwater, and I could see and hear the passion he has for flying while he talked about why he joined. He still carries that passion today and continues to fly at the tender age of 85. Did my grandfather have that same passion? Do I have that passion?

During the screening of the movie, I learned a lot of things about the Tuskegee Airmen that I didn't know before.

The men in the movie described how they as black Americans in the U.S. military had less base privileges than the German prisoners of war who they shared the base with. Those POWs were able to sit wherever they liked in the base theater, but these Soldiers who were serving their country honorably still had to abide by the laws of segregation.

In the documentary, the late Roger Terry shared some of the details of his arrest and discharge from the military following the 1945 Freeman Field Mutiny in Indiana. Terry and 100 other black officers entered a white-only officers club as a means to integrate. Terry was the only one who was convicted and discharged -- as a felon. That meant he couldn't vote or even receive government assistance. It wasn't until 1995 that Terry's record was cleared. Yet he still seemed to have a love for this country.

They talked about how they were fighting two wars simultaneously -- the one at home against segregation and the one abroad against the Axis nations -- for the double victory. I'm amazed, inspired and motivated by the allegiance those men had to this country that sometimes fought back while they were fighting for her. I question if I could've been that strong if I had been in the military during those times. Could I have been strong enough to clear the road for those coming after me? I'm still not sure of the answer, but I'm glad those men were.

I am so grateful to all of those Airmen who have paved a way for all types of people to be able to serve their country. But these men will always have a special place in my heart. And I hope that I can be as strong for the future generations of Airmen as they were for us.

It wasn't until the end of the documentary when I finally understood why the Tuskegee Airmen, men like my grandfather, fought like they did to serve this country. When you love someone, you don't just leave when things get bad. You see the good in her and remember why you loved her in the first place. And that's what the Tuskegee Airmen did.

One gentleman in the movie described it the best when he was asked why he continue to fight.

"America is not perfect," he said. "But I'll hold her hand until she gets well."