Tuskegee Airman shares his experiences
War means adversity and challenges for all soldiers, but few soldiers expect opposition from the country they are serving and the people they are fighting to protect.
This is what Bob Lawrence, a Tuskegee Airman, said he experienced when he fought for the United States during World War II as part of the first all-black fighter squadron.
Lawrence shared some experiences of his time in the military during at a talk Tuesday at the Laboratory. The talk was sponsored by the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity (HR-OEOD) and the African American Diversity Working Group as part of the Lab’s observance of Black History Month.
Lawrence enlisted when he was eighteen and was chosen to be part of an "experiment" to determine whether or not African-Americans were able to serve as fighter pilots. He and the other men in his group were segregated from other trainees and had to travel into the South with the bus shades pulled down, Lawrence said.
"Some of the instructors and commanders wanted this experiment to succeed, but there were others who wanted to make it as tough as possible on us," said Lawrence.
Even after the squadron finished training, they faced challenges. The group, Lawrence said, wasn’t accepted by any theater commander, because of the color of their skin. Finally, they were assigned to harbor patrol in North Africa. This wasn’t a fighter pilot assignment, but when officials learned that the Tuskegee Airmen had not been involved in a conflict, they believed it was because the men were scared and avoiding engagement, said Lawrence.
Finally, a commander accepted their squadron, and although they were still segregated and discriminated against, they were able to serve on missions protecting bombers, he said. The squadron went on to prove that they were as capable as any other squadron, received presidential recognition, and protected many bombers.
"We had the 'double V' for victory because we were fighting two battles. We were fighting the war and we were fighting the segregation back home,” said Lawrence.
"I’m proud to say that the Tuskegee Airmen went on to serve as doctors, lawyers, mayors, congressional representatives, and presidents of colleges after the war. We were pioneers in our communities,” said Lawrence. "We were able to prove that we have the courage, we have the spirit, and we can be productive if given the opportunity."
