Wednesday, February 27, 2002
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Wednesday, February 27, 2002 |
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Famous airmen advise Sandy Creek students
"Stay in school" and "listen to your instructor" were the key messages four former Tuskegee Airmen delivered to students at Sandy Creek High School. Norris Connally, Wilber Mason, Hiram Little and Alvin Johnson were among the original 996 African-American airmen who trained at the Tuskegee Army Air Field at Tuskegee Alabama and made history by becoming part of the 99th Fighter Squadron of the US Air Force, which flew missions over Europe during World War II. The airmen's visit was part of the school's Black History Month celebration. Although the men came to the school to talk about their lives as Tuskegee Airmen, they also seized the opportunity to share with students some important life lessons they learned from their experiences. "Before becoming pilots, all airmen were cadets and there were three things that they had to adhere to they did not want to lie, cheat or steal," Johnson told students. "This has always stayed with me throughout my life and whenever I talk to young people I stress these things." Johnson also warned students to stay away from drugs if they expect to have a successful future. "Drugs destroys lives. Whenever we get to talk to young people we stress staying in school and listening to your instructor. Remember that with an education you can go anywhere you want to," Johnson added. Many of the Tuskegee Airmen had college educations and were recruited from black colleges and universities throughout the United States. The airmen who graduated from the U.S. Air Force Technical School received the highest marks of any class that had gone through the program at the time. The high marks were attributed to the fact that all of the men were college students, according to Connally. Although the airmen stressed that school is the basic part of education, they also told students that there are other ways of learning. Out of all of the experiences that went along with being a Tuskegee Airman, all four said having the opportunity to meet and work with people from different backgrounds helped them in their professional lives after leaving the military. "I think one of the most important aspects of my education was the time I spent in the Air Force because I associated with guys from different areas of the United States. I learned how to deal and react to different types of people and that ultimately helped me when I started in the insurance business," said Connally, who worked for the Atlanta Life Insurance Company and retired as an executive vice president. The Tuskegee Airmen existed from 1940-1945. While visiting Sandy Creek, the airmen took time to tell students why they wanted to become involved in the U.S. Air Force and why they are actively speaking out about their experiences today. "I want to keep the idea alive and keep it going. I want you to know about what others have had to sacrifice. I want you to know that you have a noble opportunity to do something important with your life and you should take advantage of it," said Mason. In order to prepare for the airmen's visit, students watched a film about the Tuskegee Airmen and the 99th Fighter Squadron. Students learned that, out of the original 996 airmen, 450 served in combat overseas in the European Theater of Operations, North Africa and the Mediterranean, 66 of the airmen died in combat and 33 of them became prisoners of war. The Tuskegee Airmen were distinct in that they never lost a bomber during some 200 escort missions during World War II.
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