June 19, 2025 Story by: Editor
The Missouri History Museum unveiled “Tuskegee Airmen: America’s Freedom Flyers”presenting a data-rich, immersive celebration of the first African American military pilots and support personnel during World War II. This traveling retrospective, developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and the Tuskegee Airmen National Museum, underscores the unit’s enduring impact on military desegregation and civil rights.
Titled “Tuskegee Airmen: America’s Freedom Flyers,” the exhibit presents an immersive, data-rich journey into the lives, service, and legacy of the first Black pilots in U.S. military history, tracing their path from segregated training fields to skies over Europe and, ultimately, into the nation’s consciousness.
Photo Caption: In June 1942, aviation cadets examine a radial aircraft engine as part of their ground school training curriculum. This hands-on technical instruction was essential for preparing future pilots and mechanics for wartime service during World War II. (Photo courtesy of: Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL — Photo Collection TA093.)
A National Story with Local Roots
The exhibit, developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) and the Tuskegee Airmen National Museum, debuted in Missouri’s cultural capital with support from the Missouri Historical Society. St. Louis holds a special connection to the Tuskegee Airmen through men like Captain Wendell O. Pruitt, a native son and World War II hero whose name adorns schools, parks, and streets across the city.
Wendell Pruitt flew over 70 combat missions in Europe and was among the first Black Americans trained at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama. The exhibit includes archival photographs, military flight logs, oral histories, flight gear, medals, and digital kiosks that feature interactive interviews with pilots and mechanics.
By the Numbers: The Tuskegee Airmen’s Record
According to U.S. Army Air Forces records:
- More than 15,000 personnel were associated with the Tuskegee program from 1941 to 1949.
- Over 1,000 Black pilots were trained at Tuskegee, with roughly 450 deployed overseas.
- The Airmen flew 15,000+ combat sorties during World War II.
- They earned 96 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 8 Purple Hearts, 14 Bronze Stars, and 3 Presidential Unit Citations.
- The unit is credited with destroying or damaging over 260 enemy aircraft, including 112 in the air.
The Missouri exhibit contextualizes these statistics alongside rarely seen correspondence between Black pilots and War Department officials, highlighting how the Airmen fought not only fascism abroad but racism at home.
Photo caption: Staff officers of the 99th Fighter Squadron (Tuskegee Airmen) pose for a group portrait in Fez, French Morocco, May 12, 1943. Among them is Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Benjamin O. Davis Jr. (far left).Photo courtesy of: U.S. Army/PhotoQuest/Getty Images — Getty Images Archive.
Historical Program Data
- Training footprint: Over 15,000 African American personnel trained at Moton Field and Tuskegee Army Air Field; nearly 1,000 pilots graduated into 99th, 100th, 301st, 332nd Fighter Group squadrons.
- Rigorous process: Cadets underwent 8 weeks of primary (PT‑17) training, followed by 18 weeks of advanced flight training—from sunrise to well after dark, six days a week.
- Combat record: The 332nd Fighter Group flew more than 15,000 sorties, destroyed or damaged an estimated 262 enemy aircraft, and were awarded numerous honors: 96 Distinguished Flying Crosses, Purple Hearts, Bronze Stars, Presidential Unit Citations, and French Croix de Guerre.
Executive Order 8802 (1941): Opening Defense Jobs to African Americans
Signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 25, 1941, Executive Order 8802 marked the first major federal action to address racial discrimination in the United States defense industry. Issued in response to pressure from civil rights leaders—most notably A. Philip Randolph, who had threatened to organize a mass March on Washington—the order prohibited discriminatory hiring practices based on “race, creed, color, or national origin” in federal defense contracts.
At the time, the U.S. was preparing for entry into World War II, and defense industries were ramping up production. Despite the high demand for labor, African Americans were largely excluded from these jobs. Randolph’s proposed march and growing public outcry forced Roosevelt to act to avoid civil unrest and preserve unity.
The order also established the Fair Employment Practices Committee (FEPC), tasked with investigating discrimination complaints and monitoring compliance. While enforcement powers were limited, the FEPC received over 8,000 complaints in four years and brought unprecedented federal scrutiny to workplace bias.
Though 8802 did not desegregate the military or eliminate racial barriers outright, it was a foundational step in federal civil rights enforcement. It opened thousands of jobs to African Americans, encouraged more equitable hiring, and demonstrated the power of coordinated protest. It also laid the legal and moral groundwork for future executive actions—culminating in Executive Order 9981 seven years later.
Executive Order 9981 (1948): Desegregating the Armed Forces
On July 26, 1948, President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981, officially abolishing segregation in the U.S. military. The order declared: “There shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion or national origin.”
Truman’s decision was shaped by multiple forces: postwar civil rights momentum, pressure from Black veterans and civil rights leaders, and well-documented racial violence against returning African American servicemen. The final catalyst was likely the Freeman Field Mutiny (1945) and the broader public embarrassment of maintaining Jim Crow in a force that had just defeated fascism.
The order established the President’s Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed Services, chaired by former Army Secretary Charles Fahy. Though implementation was slow—especially within the Army and Marine Corps—the Air Force began desegregation almost immediately, and the Navy followed suit.
By the time of the Korean War (1950–1953), integration had begun to take visible effect. Units such as the 24th Infantry Regiment were deactivated or reassigned, and African Americans began serving in mixed units across the services.
Executive Order 9981 was a watershed moment in the struggle for civil rights, demonstrating that federal executive action could override institutional racism. It also established a precedent for using the military as a testing ground for social policy, influencing desegregation efforts in education, housing, and federal employment during the 1950s and beyond.
Photo Caption: Control tower support staff receive training at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama, 1942. Using equipment like a microphone and biscuit gun, these personnel played a critical role in coordinating flight operations during the training of Tuskegee Airmen. (Photo courtesy of: U.S. Air Force History and Museums Program – Tuskegee Airmen Fact Sheet)
Exhibit Features
Among the standout features of “America’s Freedom Flyers”:
- Life-sized replicas of P-51 Mustang aircraft tails painted with the iconic “Red Tails” motif.
- Digital touchscreens that allow visitors to scroll through 3D scans of flight logbooks, maintenance records, and Air Medal citations.
- A timeline of U.S. military segregation and integration policies, from Executive Order 8802 (1941) to Executive Order 9981 (1948), which formally desegregated the armed forces.
- A dedicated gallery on the “Double Victory” campaign, where African Americans rallied to defeat both foreign enemies and domestic discrimination.
- Highlights St. Louis native Captain Wendell O. Pruitt—an original Tuskegee cadet who flew 70+ combat missions in Europe and is commemorated throughout the city.
- Artifacts & media: Includes personal flight logs, medals, uniforms, oral histories, and archival photos. Interactive kiosks allow visitors to explore digitized records and pilot interviews.
Education and Legacy
The exhibit runs alongside community-led education programs, including guest lectures by military historians, film screenings of Red Tails (2012), and a youth aviation workshop hosted in partnership with the Greater St. Louis Tuskegee Airmen Chapter.
Photo Caption:The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African American pilots in U.S. military history, trained at Tuskegee Army Air Field during World War II. Their success in combat and support roles challenged racial barriers and contributed to the desegregation of the U.S. Armed Forces. Photo courtesy of: U.S. Air Force History and Museums Program – Tuskegee Airmen Fact Sheet
Details
- Location: Missouri History Museum, Forest Park, St. Louis, MO
- Dates: Open through October 2025
- Admission: Free
- Partner Institutions: Smithsonian Institution, Tuskegee Airmen National Museum, Missouri Historical Society.
Photo caption: Members of the famed Tuskegee Airmen—(L–R) James Pryde, William Broadwater, Sam O’Dennis, Freddie Robinson, J. Byron Morris, and Charles Thompson—stand in front of a North American P-51 Mustang, the signature aircraft of the Tuskegee Airmen, on display at the Andrews Air Force Base Air Show. Photo courtesy of: Rich Lipski / The Washington Post via Getty Images
NPS Context & Historical Continuity
The National Park Service’s Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site at Moton Field in Alabama continues preserving this legacy:
- Training legacy: The Airmen were the first African American pilots to complete Army Air Corps training—994 cadets graduated following intensive, year-round coursework.
- Comprehensive narrative: NPS inclusion of support staff and oral histories underscores contributions behind the front lines.
- Site preservation: The Moton Field site, including Hangar No. 1, stands as the only site developed and controlled by an African American institution for military aviation training in WWII.
Source: Air Force Historical Support Division / Archives.gov / NPS.gov / The Truman Library
