Background
Known as the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African-American pilots in the United States military were heroes of World War II, when they fought two wars at once, against fascism abroad and racism at home.
They comprised an air force within the Air Force, a completely segregated unit of cooks, mechanics and pilots who were black. They flew nearly 1,500 missions in Europe and shot down 112 enemy aircraft.
The story of how they performed to the highest level is one that resonates still.
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