They were fighting two wars: One was in Europe, and the other took place in the hearts and minds of our citizens. The Tuskegee Airmen helped win a war, and you helped change our nation for the better….And the medal that we confer today means that we’re doing a small part to ensure that your story will be told and honored for generations to come. [President George W. Bush]
Yesterday, in the rotunda of the nation’s Capitol, President George W. Bush presided over the shamefully-belated Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony Honoring the Tuskegee Airmen. In addition to distinguishing themselves in the skies above the battlefields of WWII, these men become bona fide American heroes for enlisting to defend their country at a time when most white Americans were too stupid to appreciate that blacks had the intelligence to learn how to fly.
Meanwhile, even though I suspect this ceremony came as sweet vindication for the surviving members of this band of brothers, the occasion had to have been bitter sweet. After all, they must not only resent the fact that so many of their flyboys died without being duly celebrated, but also regret that many black GIs who fought just as heroically on the ground as they fought in the air have not been, and never will be, thusly recognized.
Of course, this fact is made all the more bitter given that every president from Dwight Eisenhower to Bill Clinton knew about the valor these men showed in the face of enemies abroad, and the dignity they showed in the face of racists at home. In fact, one wonders why black leaders did not prevail upon “racially-sensitive” presidents like Carter and Clinton to redress these egregious military oversights during their presidencies….
Nevertheless, the good news is that – despite being so delayed – justice for at least some of these heroic black veterans was not denied. And given the tears that welled up in his eyes when he stood to salute them, President Bush clearly appreciated the solemnity, contrition and reverence the occasion warranted.
NOTE: Notwithstanding this good news, I know most of you are just looking for your Anna-Nicole fix. But, unlike her Drs Feelgood, I must honor my Hippocratic Oath to prescribe a little socially-redeeming commentary to supplement the gossip I peddle.
Therefore, to get your uppers on Anna Nicole, which I fear my American friends might have an allergic reaction to, as well as your downers on…Iran, click here.
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Tuskegee Airmen
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