FIRST -- US Combat Unit made up entirely of African-Americans -- Tuskegee Airmen NHS, Tuskegee AL
N 32° 27.434 W 085° 40.814
16S E 624040 N 3591884
This sign in Hanger 1 lists the 99th fighter squadron as the first US Combat Unit made up entirely of African-Americans
Waymark Code: WMWHJJ
Location: Alabama, United States
Date Posted: 09/07/2017
Views: 0
This sign pertaining to the history of the 99th fighter squadron proclaims it the first US Combat Unit made up entirely of African-Americans. The sign is located inside hangar one at the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, near Tuskegee AL.
The sign reads as follows:
"Combat intelligence
The 99th Fighter Squadron, commanded by Lt. Col. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., boarded the S. S. Mariposa in New York in April 1943, bound for North Africa. Its first assignment was to the twelfth Air Force in the Mediterranean theater, one of 10 United States Army air forces in several theaters of war. Now intelligence was more than cadet preparation; it was a matter of life and death. At Mouton field, the Intelligence Officer posted in honor board to record combat accomplishments of Tuskegee's first fighter squadron. The 99th was also the first US combat unit made up entirely of African-Americans - pilots, support staff, and officers."
FIRST - Classification Variable: Person or Group
Date of FIRST: 04/01/1943
More Information - Web URL: [Web Link]
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