"Double V Campaign"

The Tuskegee Airmen were part of a larger battle that African-Americans were fighting during World War II. They were a part of the “Double V” Campaign that stood for blacks wanting victory against their enemies abroad and their enemies within. The term was coined from a letter to the editor in the Pittsburgh Courier that questioned why blacks had to sacrifice their lives for democracy to serve in a country that did not give them democracy. The letter stated that blacks should embrace the slogan of double victory to conquer oppression abroad and at home front and the Courier used this to create the term “Double V” or double victory. This fight for equality did not just start with World War II but this was the first time that blacks rose up together as a large force to make a claim for equality.

As early as the Revolutionary War, blacks had made efforts to gain recognition as worthy soldiers who could perform valiantly in the field of battle. Leading up to World War I, few black soldiers had received credit for their sacrifices due to the heavy racism pervading the armed forces. An example of this was Eugene Bullard, the first African-American to fly as a pilot. Since the United States refused to accept him as a pilot, he flew with the French Lafayette Flying Corps during World War I and was a highly decorated officer. Despite his status as a war hero in France, the U.S. ignored his achievements and he would spend the rest of his life unknown in America. After World War I, studies were done to purposely show that blacks were inferior to white soldiers when it came to combat (a weak comparison since blacks rarely fought in battle) and were better suited for menial labor. But by the late 1920’s and 1930’s, things would begin to change that would force America to consider more blacks for combat duty.

Eugene Ballard (Black Knights by Homan)

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) began to pressure the War Department in 1931 by writing a letter requesting that blacks be allowed to join the Army Air Corps. Black newspapers such as the Pittsburgh Courier and the Chicago Defender also joined the call as they would publish editorials critical of Roosevelt and the War Department for keeping the armed forces segregated. After the War Department stated in 1937 they would establish a quota for blacks in the army based on their percentage of the population (9.5%) but failed to do so for the Air Corps, the black press and the NAACP loudly voiced their disapproval and would continue to pressure the War Department for change. At the same time, pioneers of black aviation such as Hubert “The Black Eagle” Julian, Bessie Coleman, C. Alfred Anderson, J. Herman Banning, and William Powell were beginning to establish a name for themselves as advocates for black aviation. Organizations such as the National Airmen’s Association and the Bessie Coleman Aero Club were inspiring many blacks to pursue pilot’s licenses and would help create qualified men who would later make up the Tuskegee Airmen

Because of the creation of the Double V campaign, the Tuskegee Airmen would gain crucial allies and support as blacks began to call for equality. One example of this larger movement was A. Phillip Randolph’s planned March on Washington in 1941 to force President Roosevelt to demand equality for black workers. In response to this, Roosevelt signed Exec. Order 8802 to establish the Fair Employment Practices Committee to make sure blacks were not discriminated against when they pursued jobs or defense contracts. Powerful allies such as Eleanor Roosevelt (whose flight with C. Alfred Anderson helped support the Tuskegee experiment), Wendell Wilkie, and Harry Truman, a member of the Senate Military Affairs Committee, supported the development of the Tuskegee Airmen from the start and continued to advocate the “Double V” campaign. Behind the scenes, Gen. Benjamin O. Davis Sr. and Judge William Hastie, special assistant to the Secretary of War, pressured not only for the development of the Airmen but constantly spoke on their behalf. The black press would be the only newspapers who would cover the Airmen on a constant basis and would be the only way the black community would hear of their successes. Also Eddie Rickenbacker, flying ace of World War I, was one of the most vocal supporters of the Airmen as he recognized how important their contributions would help the overall goal of victory.

As they succeeded on the battlefield, the Airmen would gain more allies as their exploits became more known. With each victory, they received praise from their generals for their effectiveness. These included Gen. Harry Arnold, Gen. Mark Clark, and Gen. Ira Eaker and the Allies advanced into Europe, they would give the pilots credit for their bravery and their support during their campaigns. Lt. Col. Philip Cochran, one of the Army’s dive-bombing experts, would praise the 99^th squadron as a collection of naturally born dive bombers. When the discipline and bravery of the Airmen was questioned by the leader of the 33^rd Fighter Squadron, William Momyer, in the highly prejudiced Momyer Report in 1943, famed war correspondent Ernie Pyle and Gen. Eisenhower lent their voices in support of the Airmen and denounced the claims made in the report. When the 99^th transferred from the 33^rd Squadron to the 79^th Squadron under the command of Col. Earl Bates, they encountered far less racism as Col. Bates was more accepting of them and allowed the 99^th to fly integrated missions with the 33^rd. Because the Airmen never lost a bomber, they were often in high demand as escorts and when they upgraded to the P-51 Mustangs, they were dubbed the “Red Angels” because of their red-colored tails and their stellar record of never losing a bomber.

By the end of the war, the “Double V” campaign had proved successful in its goals. The Tuskegee Airmen’s success would lead to eventual integration of the Air Force, after a twenty year battle, and the armed forces after Truman became president and signed Executive Order 9981 in 1948 which ended segregation in the armed forces. Most importantly, the black community had come together to support this campaign and it would establish a coalition that would play a role during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s.