March 24, 2025 Story by: Editor
AURORA, Colo. (AP) — As members of the groundbreaking Black Air Force unit, the Tuskegee Airmen, grow older and pass away, efforts to preserve their legacy continue—despite recent policy changes under President Donald Trump aimed at dismantling federal diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
Col. James H. Harvey III, now 101, is one of the last surviving members of the 332nd Fighter Group, the unit that demonstrated Black pilots could fight just as effectively as their white counterparts during World War II and beyond.
Harvey made history as the first Black jet fighter pilot to fly in Korean airspace during the Korean War, completing 126 missions and earning multiple military honors. He was also one of four Tuskegee Airmen who won the first U.S. Air Force Gunnery Meet in 1949—a precursor to today’s U.S. Navy “Top Gun” school.
“They said we didn’t have the ability to operate aircraft or heavy machinery. We were seen as inferior,” Harvey recalled. “So we showed them.”
Controversy Over Training Materials Removal
Shortly after Trump took office in January, the Air Force removed videos about the Tuskegee Airmen from training courses for new recruits. The decision sparked bipartisan criticism and pushback from the White House, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth describing the move as a “malicious implementation” of Trump’s executive order.
The Air Force later reversed course, with Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin stating that the initial removal was due to the service’s efforts to comply swiftly with Trump’s directive, avoiding any delays or resistance.
The training videos had been a key part of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) courses in basic military training. Additionally, photos of the Tuskegee Airmen were among thousands of images flagged for removal from a Pentagon database.
Harvey, who has spent decades witnessing both progress and setbacks in racial equality, expressed disappointment. “I thought we were making progress, but evidently not,” he said.
Blaming Trump for contributing to rising racial tensions, Harvey did not mince words: “I’d tell him to his face—no problem. I’d say, ‘You’re a racist,’ and see what he has to say about that. What can they do to me? Just kill me, that’s all.”
The Tuskegee Airmen’s Legacy
The Tuskegee Airmen program began in 1941 with the formation of the 99th Pursuit Squadron at Alabama’s Tuskegee Institute. The squadron later became the 332nd Fighter Group, which distinguished itself by destroying or damaging more than 400 enemy aircraft and sinking a German destroyer during World War II.
Of the 992 pilots trained, 335 were deployed into combat. The unit suffered losses, with 66 pilots killed in action and 32 taken as prisoners of war.
Despite their achievements, the Tuskegee Airmen faced discrimination even within the military. In 1949, shortly after their historic victory in the Air Force Gunnery Meet, the military integrated Black and white troops, and the Tuskegee Airmen were absorbed into other units.
For decades, their victory at the gunnery competition went unrecognized. The Air Force listed the winners as “unknown,” and their trophy disappeared. It wasn’t until 1993—nearly half a century later—that the Air Force officially acknowledged their accomplishment. The missing trophy was eventually found in a museum storage room.
“We won them all,” Harvey said. “We weren’t supposed to win anything because of the color of our skin.”
Harvey trained as a pilot during World War II but was not deployed before the war ended. During the Korean War, he flew an F-80 Shooting Star jet fighter and earned prestigious honors, including the Distinguished Flying Cross.
He retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1965 and received an honorary promotion to colonel in 2023.
Recognition, But Lingering Injustice
Trump, despite his administration’s controversial DEI policies, promoted another Tuskegee Airman, Charles McGee, to brigadier general in 2020. McGee passed away in 2022 at the age of 102.
For Harvey, his proudest moment remains the Air Force Gunnery Meet victory—an achievement that took decades to receive the recognition it deserved. “They couldn’t take it away from us,” he said. “We were good. And I’ll repeat it until I die.”
Source: AP News
