Tuskegee Airmen remembered in Columbus for WWII service, battling racism at home

As John C. Mitchell grew up on Columbus' Near East Side in the 1950s and 1960s, he thought about becoming a pilot.

His biggest influence: his father, Rufus Mitchell, who was a member of the ground crew for the famed Tuskegee Airmen, the group of Black aviators, the Red Tails, who during World War II soared in P-51 and P-47 fighters and forged a path for many who followed in aviation despite the racism and discrimination they faced during the war and afterward when they returned stateside.

"One thing he would do is he would always tell us stories," said Mitchell, 69, who now lives in the city's Berwick neighborhood but grew up near Oak Street and Wilson Avenue. That was important, because he said he and his classmates did not learn about the Tuskegee Airmen in school.

Now retired, Mitchell started flying for US Airways in 1983 after flying in the military, then flew for American Airlines after it acquired US Airways. Mitchell's father didn't make it as a pilot, but was an electrician for the aircraft used by Tuskegee Airmen.

Ohio Tuskegee Airmen Day celebrates their service, connection to state

Making sure future generations know about the Tuskegee Airmen was one reason for the Ohio Tuskegee Airmen Day celebration on Tuesday at the National Veterans Memorial and Museum in downtown Columbus. In 2021, the Ohio Legislature established March 29 as Ohio Tuskegee Airmen Day.

The airmen have a close Columbus connection.

After World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen were based from 1946-1949 at Lockbourne Army Air Corps Base, now Rickenbacker International Airport. A number of pilots and ground crew made Columbus their permanent homes, with some living in the Hanford Village neighborhood, a Black community on the East Side that was cut apart when Interstate 70 was built.

By 1948, the Ohio History Connection said, 75% of all black officers in the Air Force were stationed at Lockbourne.

But the group was phased out in 1949 after the President Harry S Truman issued an executive order the year before that integrated the military. Before the group dissolved, its pilots defeated white pilots during an Air Force "Top Gun"-like competition in Nevada, said CB Rice, a historian and author from Texas.

During World War II, the airmen — which during the war comprised four squadrons of fighters that were part of the 332nd Fighter Group — primarily escorted B-17 and B-24 bombers during runs over Europe, based first in North Africa, then Italy.

During that time, they shot down 14 to 18 German fighters during the battle of Anzio in January 1944, Rice said during the program.

But the group paid a price during the war. Sixty-six of the Tuskegee Airmen lost their lives, and another 84 lost their lives in training accidents, Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., Ohio's adjutant general, said during the program.

"It wasn't all glamour. It was hard," Harris said.

And though 992 pilots made it through the Tuskegee program, another 1,000 didn't complete it, he said.

Of the pilots who made it, 58 came from Ohio, including seven Columbus natives, Rice said.

The group gained its name from where they trained: Tuskegee, Alabama.

The last living Tuskegee pilot in Ohio is retired Lt. Col. Harold Brown, who is 97 and lives in Port Clinton, Ottawa County. Tuskegee crew chief Don Elder lives in Columbus.

Gregory Edmonds, president of the Ohio Memorial Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen Inc., said today's youth need to know about the group's legacy and how its members paved the way.

"Their love of country was the common thread, even though they faced racism and segregation," Edmonds said.

Despite their hard work and battles and heroism overseas, many had difficulty finding jobs after returning home despite their training as pilots and mechanics.

Anthony Gibbs, 46, of Pickerington, portrays a Tuskegee airman during living history programs. He was looking at exhibits featuring Columbus members of the Airmen before Tuesday's event.

"They were heroes of mine growing up," said Gibbs, a history major at Ohio State University.

They were successful in helping to end the war, but then battled racism at home, Gibbs said, adding that it's important to tell that history.

"Spread their story as much as possible," he said.

mferench@dispatch.com

@MarkFerenchik

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Tuskegee Airmen remembered for courage in war, at home