The Tuskegee Airmen

The Tuskegee Airmen (HMEYA)

Location: Walterboro, SC 29488 Colleton County
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Country: United States of America
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N 32° 54.993', W 80° 38.265'

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Inscription
(Top left picture):
In April of 1944, Walterboro Army Airfield stopped training fighter groups and switched to advanced individual air combat training. Over 500 black airmen from the training program at Tuskegee trained at the airfield between 1944 and October 1945.
Class 44-F shortly before their transfer to Walterboro Army Air Field. Tuskegee Army Air Field June 1944. Photograph courtesy of Hiram Mann

(Middle left picture): After transfer from Tuskegee Army Air Field to Walterboro Army Air Field, black airmen trained as replacement pilots for the all-black 332nd Fighter Group. Original transfer orders, Class 44-F from Tuskegee to Walterboro, 1944. Document courtesy of Hiram Mann

(Newspaper clipping):
"Colored Soldiers Recreational Center..."
With the support of the black community, a USO was approved for black pilots on Gruber St., less than a mile from the airfield, in 1944. The Press and Standard. 1945.

(Upper right pictures):
Life on Base
"...we boarded a fleet of six by six trucks and were driven to some old ramshackle one-story barracks that looked to be vintage 1914. Next day... the base commander called a meeting to "welcome" us to Walterboro Army Airfield."
-Charles Dryden, A-Train. Black airmen were given segregated quarters on the base and had to endure segregated seating in the theater and cafeteria, as well as having a seperate, segregated officer's club. Photographs courtesy of Hiram Mann.

???" we boycotted the [base] theater."
- Charles Dryden, A-Train

Training
(Lower left two pictures):
"So many men came to Walterboro as junior pilots and left about four monts later to go overseas as well-trained fighter pilots..."

"During their relatively short stay at Walterboro the trainees logged an average of sixty hours in various types of training, including: transition into the fighter aircraft to learn how to make safe takeoffs and landings, formation flying, instrument and night flying, aerial and ground gunnery, aerobatics, and combat tactics."
- Charles Dryden, A-Train

(Lower left newspaper clipping):
"Colored Pilot Was Killed in Crash..."
"We could see the tell-tale plume of black smoke rising swiftly into the beautiful, sun-drenched sky. We searched the sky for a familiar parachute canopy - but it was nowhere to be seen."
Bill Wheeler, "Shaking the Jug" 1996. Four black pilots died during training at Walterboro Army Airfield including Richard Bell, Cornelius Dowling, Willis Moore and Lloyd Carter. The Press and Standard. 1944.

(Three middle right pictures):
"...five of us were being returned to the United States [from Italy]. There we could help ... teach the TAAF [Tuskegee Army Airfield] graduates what we had learned in combat and then return overseas with the group."
- Charles Dryden, A-Train. Black instructors at WAAF including veteran 99th Fighter Squadron members Charles Dryden, Spann Watson, Bill Campbell, Bud Clark, Peepsight Smith and Charles DeBow. They shared their duties with white instructors who included local resident and architect John Trulock. Photographs courtesy of Hiram Mann.

"I was assigned to the Jug (P-47 Thunderbolt) at Walterboro Army Air Base, where I took advanced combat training. I ... sought out the Vought-Corsairs flown by the Marines stationed at Parris Island. They could out-turn me - but I could outmaneuver THEM. Thats were I really learned combat tactics!" - Bill Wheller, "Shaking the Jug" 1996. Black pilots at Walterboro also trained on P-39 Airacobra, the P-40 Kittyhawk and the P-47 Thunderbolt or "Jug".Photographs courtesy of Hiram Mann.

(Lower right newspaper clipping and picture)
"Order Opens Base Clubs..."
In 1945 race relations off base began to heat up. Spann Watson was involved in a fracas with the mayor of Walterboro that nearly turned into a riot. A national order that restricted bases from having segregated officer's clubs caused local division when white WAAF officers moved their activities to the local country club rather than associate with black officers. Tensions only eased when the base closed that October and its soldiers, black and white, were transferred to other bases. The Press and Standard. 1945.

(Lower text):
"The best training fighter pilots ever got, they got at Walterboro. We put aside the race battles and put out good pilots. We had some of the most sincere people. I didn't see any sloughing off in training black people for combat."
- Spann Watson, Red Tails, Black Wings

A Special Thanks to:
Hiram E. Man (sic) Chapter, Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.
Mr. Johnnie Thompson, President
Walterboro-Colleton County Airport Commission
Clemson University Extension Service
SC National Heritage Center
Colleton County School District, Forest Circle Middle School, Mrs. Finsch's 8th Grade History Class (2004-2005)
Research: Elizabeth Laney
Details
HM NumberHMEYA
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Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Wednesday, October 8th, 2014 at 12:51am PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)17S E 533871 N 3642093
Decimal Degrees32.91655000, -80.63775000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 32° 54.993', W 80° 38.265'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds32° 54' 59.58" N, 80° 38' 15.90" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)803, 843
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 201-391 Aviation Way, Walterboro SC 29488, US
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