Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site facts for kids
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Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site
Tuskegee Institute Field #2 Moton Field |
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The Hangar One Museum at The Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site at Moton Field in Tuskegee, Alabama
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 Location in Alabama
Location in the United States
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| Location | Tuskegee, Alabama, USA |
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| Built | 1940 |
| Architect | U.S. Army |
| Website | Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site |
| NRHP reference No. | 01000284 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 6, 1998 |
| Designated NHLD | November 6, 1998 |
The Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site is located at Moton Field in Tuskegee, Alabama. This important place remembers the amazing things African-American pilots did during World War II. Moton Field was where the first pilots, known as the Tuskegee Airmen, learned to fly. Today, the National Park Service manages the site to teach people about their brave story and achievements. The training base was built in 1941. It was named after Robert Russa Moton, a former leader of Tuskegee Institute, who had passed away the year before.
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Who Were the Tuskegee Airmen?
Before 1940, African Americans were not allowed to fly for the U.S. military. But civil rights groups and black newspapers pushed for change. Because of their efforts, an all African-American fighter squadron was formed in Tuskegee, Alabama, in 1941. These brave individuals became known as the Tuskegee Airmen.
The name "Tuskegee Airmen" includes everyone involved in the "Tuskegee Experiment." This was an Army Air Corps program that trained African Americans to fly and maintain combat planes. The Tuskegee Airmen included pilots, navigators, and bombardiers. It also included all the maintenance and support staff, instructors, and other people who kept the planes flying.
The military chose Tuskegee Institute to train these pilots. This was because the institute was already good at aviation training. Tuskegee had the right buildings, skilled engineering and technical teachers, and weather good for flying all year. The first students in the Civilian Pilot Training Program finished their lessons in May 1940. After that, the Tuskegee program grew. It became the main place for African-American aviation training during World War II.
The Tuskegee Airmen faced many challenges, including unfair treatment and segregation. Despite this, they became one of the most respected fighter groups of World War II. They proved that African Americans could fly and maintain complex combat aircraft. The achievements of the Tuskegee Airmen, along with the men and women who supported them, helped open the way for all parts of the U.S. military to become integrated.
The History of Moton Field
Moton Field was the only main flight training center for African-American pilot candidates. This was during World War II for the U.S. Army Air Corps. It was named after Robert Russa Moton, who was the second president of Tuskegee Institute.
Building the Training Base
Moton Field was built between 1940 and 1942. Money for its construction came from the Julius Rosenwald Fund. This funding helped create a primary flight training program under a contract with the U.S. military. Staff from Maxwell Field in Montgomery, Alabama, helped choose and map out the site. Architect Edward C. Miller and engineer G. L. Washington designed many of the buildings. Archie A. Alexander, an engineer and builder, supervised the construction of the flight school. Workers from Tuskegee Institute helped finish the field so that flight training could begin on time.
The Army Air Corps sent officers to oversee the training at Tuskegee Institute/Moton Field. They gave the cadets textbooks, flying clothes, parachutes, and mechanic suits. Tuskegee Institute, as the civilian contractor, provided the facilities. This included places for aircraft and personnel, such as living quarters and a dining hall for the cadets. It also had hangars, repair shops, and offices for Air Corps staff, flight instructors, ground school teachers, and mechanics. Tuskegee Institute was one of the few American places that owned, developed, and controlled facilities for military flight training.
In addition to the training at Moton Field, other smaller airfields were used:
- Calabee Flight Strip 32°21′50″N 085°45′50″W / 32.36389°N 85.76389°W
- Kennedy Auxiliary Field (Tuskegee Institute Field #1) 32°21′05″N 085°39′23″W / 32.35139°N 85.65639°W
In March 1941, Eleanor Roosevelt, who was President Franklin D. Roosevelt's wife, visited Kennedy Field. She took a flight with C. Alfred "Chief" Anderson, who was Tuskegee Institute's main flight instructor. Mrs. Roosevelt was a trustee of the Rosenwald Fund. She helped get the money needed to build Moton Field at Tuskegee.
First Class of Pilots
The very first class of pilots, known as 42-C, started training on July 19, 1941. This class included student officer Captain Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.. He served as the leader of the cadets. Twelve other cadets trained with him under Captain Noel F. Parrish and 2nd Lieutenant Harold C. Magoon. The other cadets were John C. Anderson, Jr., Charles D. Brown, Theodore E. Brown, Marion A. Carter, Lemuel R. Custis, Charles H. DeBow, Jr., Frederick H. Moore, Ulysses S. Pannell, George S. Roberts, Mac Ross, William H. Slade, and Roderick C. Williams. Only five of these cadets finished the flight training at Tuskegee in March 1942.
Cadets also had strict training in ground school. They learned about subjects like meteorology (weather), navigation, and how to use instruments. After pilot cadets finished primary flight training at Moton Field, they moved to Tuskegee Army Air Field (TAAF). There, they completed their training with the Army Air Forces. TAAF was a full military base, though it was segregated. The facilities at Moton Field included two aircraft hangars, a control tower, a locker building, a clubhouse, wooden offices, storage buildings, and a vehicle maintenance area.
Many cadets received their first flight lessons at Moton Field. Support staff were trained at Chanute Field in Illinois. Between 1941 and 1945, Tuskegee Institute trained over 1,000 black aviators for the war effort. Moton Field was closed in 1946. In 1972, a large part of the airfield was given to the city of Tuskegee. It is still used today as a municipal airport.
Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site Today
The Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site was created on November 6, 1998. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places on the same day. The site has a temporary visitor center. Hangar One has been restored, and the site officially opened on October 10, 2008. The Hangar One Museum is open for tours from Wednesday to Sunday. Tours are free for everyone.
An oral history project was finished in 2005. This project includes interviews with hundreds of people involved in the Tuskegee Experiment. These interviews will eventually be available for the public to learn from. In January 2021, the Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Site was shown on the 56th and final quarter in the America the Beautiful Quarters series.
