After serving 27 years in the military, Tuskegee Airman John Allen has received a Congressional Gold Medal for his courage in battle and for his resilience in the face of racism and segregation in the armed forces.
The veteran, who was a member of the only black Air Corps Base in Tuskegee, Ala. during World War II, served three decades in the U.S. Army Air Corps, which later became the Air Force.
Allen will hold a symposium today at 7 p.m. in the SUB ballroom discussing his wartime experiences. The retired airman said he hopes to at least “motivate one person to say that failure is not an option.”
At the base and throughout his training, Allen said that he and his fellow members had to take initiative and develop their skills without assistance in a society that believed black people were unfit to fly.
“Psychologists said we couldn’t fly; and we didn’t have the ability or perseverance,” he said. “We were left on our own and it was not like we had someone on our shoulders telling us what to do.”
Allen and other Corps members continued to develop their abilities without invested supervisors.
In his career as a member of the Air Corps, Allen said he learned that taking responsibility for his knowledge and capabilities enabled him to excel.
The Tuskegee Airmen were an elite group of black pilots in the ‘40s. The group managed to destroy or damage more than 400 German airplanes and 950 ground units and escorted more than 200 bombers during World War II, according to the Air Force’s website.
Success is a concept that Allen is familiar with; the veteran’s accomplishments include more than 10 medals and badges. In an interview, Allen stressed the importance of education and striving to exceed expectations.
“I want to put the idea of learning more and more in people’s minds and not just getting by,” Allen said.
Allen was released from active duty in 1947, but returned to the military in 1948, when an Executive Order desegregated the military. Allen said much of his training and experience involves weapons, which required knowledge and attention to detail he developed through several military courses.
“Most of the schools I went to and my whole career field involved weapons,” Allen said. “So I had to stay on top of my toes because you only have one mistake and if you make that mistake you have nothing to talk about.”
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The airman said his success in the face of diversity came from a determination to excel. He said that young people need to do the same.
“Today, you will need certain skills, so I want to press upon them to improve the skills they have,” Allen said.
Allen said people who do not make the effort to develop their skills may be left behind and unable to find good jobs. He joked that “there’s always Taco Bell,” for those who choose not to invest in training and education.
