Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to stand before you today to honor the three members of the Tuskegee Airmen from my home district: Morris Washington, Alvin LaRue, Julius Calloway.  Sixty five years ago, legally mandated bigotry permeated every aspect of civilian life.  Opportunities for a black man or woman were few, for the most superficial of reasons: the color of their skin.  Still, when Congress demanded the formation of an all black Army Air Core unit in March of 1941, hundreds signed up for the 99th Pursuit Squadron to defend the country that oppressed them.

These brave men became the Tuskegee Airmen, and they did more than merely enlist.  Ten months later, America found itself in the thralls of the Second World War.  But despite showing remarkable aptitude—96 was the lowest score among all their flight tests—a deep sense of racism blinded their commanders to the proper and necessary action, and the Airmen were initially left out of combat.  But as the conflict wore on, necessity sent these dedicated and capable men of valor into the skies where they deftly completed mission after mission, giving America a vital thrust in our efforts to defeat the Axis powers.

In their legendary P-51 Mustangs, the Tuskegee Airmen astonished their doubters by prevailing against the Nazis who frequently outnumbered them.  Soon, the Airmen were known for the


prowess rather than their race and inspired a legend that they had never lost a single man to enemy fire.

By the end of the war, they had flown more than 15,000 sorties on 1,500 missions and were awarded two Presidential Unit Citations, 744 Air Medals, 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, several Bronze and Silver Stars, and most recently a Congressional Gold Medal.

Though officially recognized for their heroic accomplishments, the Airmen returned home to a nation still paralyzed by racial hatred and two more decades of legalized segregation. 

Every citizen who enjoys the freedom that America offers owes a debt to these courageous men who, rather than seek revenge, chose to look past there own oppression and see the potential of their nation’s greatness.  We are ashamed of the treatment they received and hope to follow their example, building a society where racial bigotry can be found only in the annals of our history books.

I am proud that three of these heroes, Morris Washington, Alvin LaRue, Julius Calloway, still call my district of Louisville, Kentucky home.  I am honored to represent them and hope that you will all join me in giving them the recognition they deserve.