Legislators took a short break from deliberation of budgets and bills today to meet some true American heroes -- four Tuskegee Airmen, along with members of their families.Visiting the House Democratic Caucus were Captain George Hickman, Col. Ed Drummond, Airman George Miller (pictured), and Tommie Lamb, the President of the Tuskegee Sam Bruce Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.
The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American military aviators in the United States armed forces. During World War II, African Americans in many U.S. states still were subject to the Jim Crow laws; the American military was racially segregated, as was much of the federal government.
The Tuskegee Airmen were subjected to racial discrimination, both within and outside the army. Despite the adversities, they trained and flew with distinction, becoming one of the most highly- respected flyer groups of World War II. Their story was just recently featured in George Lucas's motion picture Red Tails.
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