Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Flight Officer Roscoe Perkins, a distinguished aviation pioneer who helped pave the way for racial integration in the United States Armed Forces and whose service has inspired generations of aviators. Flight Officer Roscoe Perkins served our country in World War II as a military pilot and was one of the first Black-American pilots to serve in the United States Armed Forces. Flight Officer Perkins was among the nearly 1,000 men, referred to as the Tuskegee Airmen, who trained at the United States Army Air Corps' Tuskegee Army Airfield in Alabama. The Tuskegee Airmen were citizens who wanted to fight for their country but were originally barred from doing so due to segregationist policies at the time. This led to the creation of the Tuskegee Institute to train Black Army personnel to become pilots. Despite facing many obstacles, the Tuskegee Airmen beat the odds. Even in the face of significant barriers, they showed skill and patriotism. They fought valiantly in World War II by flying more than 15,000 combat sorties over Europe and North Africa. For his part, Roscoe Perkins logged nearly 400 hours of flight during his years of service between January 31, 1944, and February 10, 1946. He flew P-47s and B-25s for the U.S. Army Air Corps in the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group.…”