by The Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site is located at Moton Field in Tuskegee, Alabama. It’s the location of the primary flight training for the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African American pilots who served in WWII.
Prior to 1940, African Americans were not even allowed to fly for the U.S. military. When that changed, this base was built in 1941 specifically to train the Tuskegee Airmen (as they came to be called) to fly combat aircraft. In addition to the pilots, there were many support staff on hand: maintenance, instructors, navigators, etc.
The pilots faced significant segregation and prejudice, making their achievements all the more remarkable. More than 1,000 black aviators were trained here between 1941 and 1945. Their success paved the way for fully integrating the U.S. military.
After the war, the site was closed, with a large portion of the air field becoming a municipal airport for the city of Tuskegee. It wasn’t until 1998 that the historic site was established, with one Hangar One restored and Hangar Two reconstructed (the original having burned in a fire IN 1989).
The park’s 28-minute film is available for viewing online; it features lots of Tuskegee Airmen recounting their experiences, and is very well-done.
