"If you've got the guts to fly to washington, I've got the guts to get you what you need."
From 1932-1941, there were ninety negro aviators who earned commercial pilots certificates under the NAAA (National Airman's Association of America). Reacting to racism both at home and in the military in 1939, two of those pilots, Dale White and Chauncey Spencer (with backing from Illinois gov. Dwight Green) were sponsered by the NAAA and tried to raise funds for a flight from Illinois to Washington, in order to raise awareness for the aviation training for black pilots. Unfortunatly, civil funds donted by the public were miniscule. Eventually White and Spencer used their own money to rent a Lincoln-Paige Biplane in order to attempt the flight.
After flying from Ohio to Pittsburg, White and Spencer were forced to land in a farmer's field with a broken crankshaft. With the news in a paper, Mr Edgar Brown (after being introduced to the pilots by Robert Vann, the editor of the Courier Newspaper in Pittsburgh), on a subway car with the two pilots, "Introduced them to a man who had perhaps did more toward the future of blacks in aviation then any other man up to the incident of the time. That man was Harry S. Truman of Missouri."
Laws that Changed Aviation:
Upon the meeting of the pilots and their flight to Washington, Trumann reportedly said "If you've got the guts to fly to washington, I've got the guts to get you what you need." Following up on his promise, Truman pressured President Franklin D. Roosavelt and War Secratary Robert H. Hinkley into passing two laws. One was the Civilian Pilot Training Act Program, "The purpose of which was to build a backlog of civilian pilots who could quickly be adapted and inducted into the military in case of a national emergency." The other was Public Law 18 which stated that "... the Air Corps needs additional training facilities for its primary training, and would be using civilian pilots in its new facilities." it was interpreted that both white and colored men would be trained, but in many cases there were not enough men in the area who could be admited. (A civilian pilots licence was needed, and there were not enough men in a concentrated area to fill the requirements). These two acts were completely revolutionary. They allowed the freedom of blacks to fly in the military; an idea that was rejected by many americans at the time.
"I find provision of the law has not been carried out! Congress passed a law that initiates the training of all colored men who wish to participate! To date, the law has been ignored!"
During the CPTP, 100 men volunteered, and 91 passed requirements. Finally, with the passing of the Selective Service Act in 1941, (which required all branches of the military to have colored men enlisted and participating) the Air Corps finally had to give in. The 91 men who qualified were sent to the newly constructed Moton Field, at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Eventually, due to NAACP presure and a lawsuit by Yancey Williams, the institute expanded to include mechanics, bombardiers, flight trainers, bombers, and gunners. The institute was born.
After flying from Ohio to Pittsburg, White and Spencer were forced to land in a farmer's field with a broken crankshaft. With the news in a paper, Mr Edgar Brown (after being introduced to the pilots by Robert Vann, the editor of the Courier Newspaper in Pittsburgh), on a subway car with the two pilots, "Introduced them to a man who had perhaps did more toward the future of blacks in aviation then any other man up to the incident of the time. That man was Harry S. Truman of Missouri."
Laws that Changed Aviation:
Upon the meeting of the pilots and their flight to Washington, Trumann reportedly said "If you've got the guts to fly to washington, I've got the guts to get you what you need." Following up on his promise, Truman pressured President Franklin D. Roosavelt and War Secratary Robert H. Hinkley into passing two laws. One was the Civilian Pilot Training Act Program, "The purpose of which was to build a backlog of civilian pilots who could quickly be adapted and inducted into the military in case of a national emergency." The other was Public Law 18 which stated that "... the Air Corps needs additional training facilities for its primary training, and would be using civilian pilots in its new facilities." it was interpreted that both white and colored men would be trained, but in many cases there were not enough men in the area who could be admited. (A civilian pilots licence was needed, and there were not enough men in a concentrated area to fill the requirements). These two acts were completely revolutionary. They allowed the freedom of blacks to fly in the military; an idea that was rejected by many americans at the time.
"I find provision of the law has not been carried out! Congress passed a law that initiates the training of all colored men who wish to participate! To date, the law has been ignored!"
During the CPTP, 100 men volunteered, and 91 passed requirements. Finally, with the passing of the Selective Service Act in 1941, (which required all branches of the military to have colored men enlisted and participating) the Air Corps finally had to give in. The 91 men who qualified were sent to the newly constructed Moton Field, at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Eventually, due to NAACP presure and a lawsuit by Yancey Williams, the institute expanded to include mechanics, bombardiers, flight trainers, bombers, and gunners. The institute was born.