Tuskegee airman recognized for service after 60 years

Despite the discrimination they faced, the Tuskegee airmen, who were America's first black military pilots, earned their wings during World War II by refusing to let prejudice keep them down.

For Tuskegee airman Jim Harrison, now 81, his love of flying is what kept him going.

"My entire military life for me was a thrill. I enjoy flying. Everything I did in or around airplanes was happiness," said the Lakewood resident.

Harrison, along with 300 other Tuskegee airmen, was honored March 29 at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. The airmen were awarded Congressional Gold Medals for their services. Speakers at the ceremony included President George W. Bush, former Secretary of State Colin Powell and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest recognition Congress offers. The award must be approved by Congress and signed into law by the president.

Nearly 1,000 Tuskegee airmen were trained at Tuskegee, Ala., between 1942 and 1946. Six decades after their services, the Tuskegee Airman are finally getting their "just desserts," Harrison said.

"I am a little embarrassed because of the attention after 60 years of ignoring us," he said. "We didn't win the war ourselves, so I don't like to be put up on a pedestal ... But (white pilots) were considered heroes in 1943. We are just now being considered heroes."

Many of Harrison's peers went on to have careers as doctors, lawyers and other prominent professions, he said.

"Those of us who were chosen to be the initial black military pilots have accomplished many good and worthy things over the years," Harrison said.

Harrison grew up in east Texas. He turned 18 in September of 1943, while attending college at Prairie View A&M University. In that same month, a draft notice arrived at his parents' house, which he did not find out about until November.

When Harrison found out he had been drafted, he was not allowed to return to school, not even to get his books or clothes from his dorm room, leaving his studies and part-time job behind, he said.

"At the time, I thought it was so unfair. But it turned out to be a blessing. I was at the right place at the right time to get into the flying business," Harrison said.

Acceptance into the Tuskegee's cadet program wasn't easy. Harrison said only about one out of every 10 men passed the entrance exam. He arrived at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Tuskegee, Ala., in 1944. At the time, it was the only training center for black pilots.

The Tuskegee program was designed to use the same control and discipline used at West Point military academy, Harrison said.

"Any lie you told could get you expelled from the program," he said, even one as small as if you shined your shoes or not.

For the cadets, flying planes was the fun part. On the ground, they were subjected to hazing by upperclassmen, intimidation by their superiors and the intense concentration of engineering and navigation training.

"The airplane part you enjoyed. I don't think anyone who graduated considered flying anything more than fun," Harrison said.

The nine-month program was so grueling that less than half of Harrison's class made it to graduation.

However, every effort was made to keep the black pilots from getting to actual combat, despite the fact that the country was at war, and could, presumably, use all the help they could get, Harrison said.

"The initial thought was that given this opportunity, we would fail," he said. "But we succeeded."

Harrison, like other Tuskegee graduates, went on to more training. Finally, due to urgings by the black press and liberal members of the government, two units were sent overseas: The 99th Pursuit Squadron (later the 99th Fighter Squadron) or the 332nd Fighter Group, Harrison said.

To distinguish themselves, the Tuskegee airmen painted the tails of their planes red, thus earning the nicknames "Redtails," said Ruthanne Johnson, vice-president of the Metro State History Club. The club recently co-sponsored an event honoring the Tuskegee airmen.

"Our goal was to bring awareness and honor to these men who have so long gone unnoticed - and are to important to history," Johnson said.

Unaware that the Redtails were black, the Allies requested them for bomber plane escorts whenever possible, she said. The Tuskegee Airmen's outstanding record is credited with influencing the desegregation of the military.

Harrison, who did not serve overseas, decided to continue his military career after the war ended. Despite the Tuskegee Airmen's reputation, black pilots were not able to get hired by commercial airlines, he said.

"I ran into a few 'good ol' boys' who did not want me to accomplish anything. They did not want me around and did everything in their power to hold me back," Harrison said.

Harrison didn't let this attitude get in his way. If he felt something was wrong, he always stood up for himself or others, even though it cost him a promotion or two down the line, he said.

"I do not regret my decisions. You have to do what your conscience tells you to," he said.

Harrison retired as a major in the Air Force in 1964, when he was hired as a United Airlines pilot and moved with his family to Lakewod. Harrison married his wife, Margaret, in 1946. The couple has three children.

Harrison worked for United Airlines until 1992. Over the years, he has been involved with the Lakewood community, serving as neighborhood watch captain and on the board of the homeowners' association.

A friend of the family, Bernadine Burton, said, "They are very special people. Once you meet them, they are the kind of people you never forget."

For more information on the Tuskegee airmen, visit www.tuskegeeairmen.org.