AURORA, Colo. — As the last members of the historic Black Air Force unit pass away, efforts continue to honor their legacy, even amid ongoing changes to federal diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
Col. James H. Harvey III, now 101, is among a dwindling group of airmen from the 332nd Fighter Group, also known as the Tuskegee Airmen, who showcased the capabilities of a Black unit during World War II and beyond.
Harvey made history as the first Black jet fighter pilot to operate in Korean airspace during the Korean War, completing 126 missions and earning various decorations. He was one of four Tuskegee Airmen to win the inaugural U.S. Air Force Gunnery Meet in 1949, the precursor to the modern U.S. Navy “Top Gun” program.
“They said we didn’t have the ability to operate aircraft. We were labeled inferior,” Harvey reflected. “So we showed them.”
Following a change in administration, the Air Force removed training videos featuring the Tuskegee Airmen from its new recruit courses, prompting widespread bipartisan criticism and concern regarding compliance with federal directives.
In response, the Air Force swiftly reversed this decision, with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin acknowledging that the initial removal was due to immediate compliance with executive orders.
The videos had been integral to diversity training during basic military instruction. Furthermore, images of the Tuskegee Airmen were among many flagged for removal from a Pentagon database.
“I thought we had made progress, but it appears we have not,” Harvey expressed, attributing a rise in prejudice to recent policy changes. He emphasized his willingness to confront these issues directly.
The Tuskegee Airmen were originally formed in 1941 as the 99th Pursuit Squadron at the Tuskegee Institute and later became the 332nd Fighter Group. They successfully destroyed or damaged over 400 enemy aircraft during World War II and even sank a German destroyer.
Out of the 992 pilots trained as Tuskegee Airmen, 335 were deployed; 66 were killed in action, and 32 became prisoners of war.
In 1949, shortly after their gunnery meet victory, the U.S. Air Force began integrating Black and white troops, leading to the absorption of the Tuskegee Airmen into other units.
Recognition for the 332nd’s achievements in bombing and shooting proficiency was long overdue, with official acknowledgment coming nearly 50 years later.
“We won every competition we entered,” Harvey asserted. “Society expected us to fail based on our skin color.”
Though he trained during World War II, his combat deployment came during the Korean War, where he flew the F-80 Shooting Star and received commendations including the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Harvey retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1965 and was honorably promoted to colonel in 2023.
In 2020, another surviving Tuskegee Airman, Charles McGee, was promoted to brigadier general before his passing in 2022 at age 102.
Harvey regards the Air Force Gunnery Meet as his greatest achievement, a recognition finally accorded in 1993, with their long-lost trophy later rediscovered in a museum’s storeroom.
“We excelled, and nobody could take that from us,” Harvey affirmed. “We were exceptional, and I’ll continue to proclaim that truth.”
