USAAF Tuskeggee veterans honored in Columbia, South Carolina USA !

Columbia) – “There wasn’t any fear. There was no fear at all.”

Leroy Bowman is just one of many Black men who personify bravery. It’s the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen.

Bowman said, “We were the best. We were the best in the Corp.”

Born and raised in Sumter, South Carolina, Bowman was accepted at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama in 1942. Bowman adds, “My experience and my goal was to fly an airplane.”

And not only did they learn to fly, the Tuskegee Airmen became skilled fighter and bomber pilots who overcame extreme racism.

Bowman said, “They didn’t accept us until after a number of missions when they saw we could do the job.”

But the airmen didn’t falter, they prevailed as one during World War II, according to Lt. Col. Hiram Mann.

He says, “The Tuskegee Airmen are the closest knit unit that you’ll find in the military.”

They were determined to protect their country.
Mann replied, “I wanted to do my bit to keep Hitler out of America so I decided I wanted to fly.”

They are heroes that defied the odds and still live to share the experience.

Leroy Bowman said, “I’m happy the story is being told today. As long as children get to know the story, it’s fine with me.”

Every United States President since Ronald Reagan became an honorary Tuskegee Airman.

This historic group never lost a bomber to enemy fire and became the most requested squadron during World War II.

Jocelyn Maner, News Reporter

Updated: 11/4/2004 11:39:22 PM