Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and I thank my colleague, the ranking member, Mr. Rangel, for his dedication and perseverance in obtaining the highest congressional honor for one of the most courageous groups of Americans, the Tuskegee Airmen. At a time when civil rights were still being denied and segregation persisted through many parts of our country, the Tuskegee Airmen bravely fought and gave their lives abroad for freedom and liberty that sadly oftentimes they did not receive here at home.
Before 1940, the African Americans were denied the right to fly with the United States military. However, from 1942 to 1946, the Tuskegee Airmen graduated 992 airmen from the pilot training program of the Tuskegee Army airfield, while 450 served in combat.
For every African American pilot, there were 10 other civilian or military African American men and women on the ground performing support duties. Many of them remained in the military during the post-World War II era and spearheaded the integration of the armed services with the integration of the Air Force in 1949.
Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to go to Iraq about a year ago and visited with the 332nd Fighter Group, the follow-on from the 99th Fighter Squadron that was the Tuskegee Airmen and had a chance to visit with the wonderful men and women who make up that 332nd Fighter Squadron. What a group they are. And they certainly recognize their roots. They recognize the heritage, the valiant heritage of the 99th Fighter Squadron. In fact, Balad air base, where this fighter group is stationed in Iraq, is the site for the Air Force's contingent aeromedical staging facilities where all the casualties in Iraq are brought to this central staging facility, stabilized, flown from Balad to Landstuhl, Germany and then subsequently flown from Landstuhl back here to Walter Reed in the United States.
When I was there in February, they had performed 19,000 such transfers from the battlefield with one intertransfer death. I had an opportunity to go back in August of this past year, in 2005: 27,000 patient transfers, again only the one intertransfer death.
Clearly, these men and women are following that great tradition that was started by the 99th Fighter Squadron. Well, sadly today, only 200 of the original Tuskegee Airmen are still with us. I am fortunate to have three of these courageous men living in the district that I represent: Mr. Don Elder, Mr. Robert McDaniel and Mr. Claude Platt. Recently, the Claude R. Platt VFW Tuskegee Airmen chapter was formed. And I am confident that others will benefit greatly from this chapter's rich history and legacy.
Gentlemen, thank you very much for your service and your dedication to your country. I am honored and privileged to represent you before the United States Congress.
Mr. Speaker, the mayor of my town of Highland Village, Texas, back home is the son of a Tuskegee Airman. Mayor Bill Lawrence was born and grew up in Tuskegee, Alabama; and his father served proudly with the 99th Fighter Squadron.
The 26th Congressional District of Texas also pays tribute to the brave men through the National Cowboys of Color museum located in Fort Worth, Texas. A wing of the museum is dedicated to the Claude R. Platt VFW Tuskegee Airmen chapter. The wing is the home of a number of personal artifacts, autographed paintings of the airmen in training, proclamations and other items of recognition.
Mr. Speaker, if you are ever in north Texas, Mr. Ranking Member, if you are ever in north Texas, I encourage you to visit this museum and learn more about the sacrifices and the contributions of these heroic Americans.
Mr. Speaker, once again I want to thank Ranking Member Rangel for his bringing forth this legislation honoring the Tuskegee Airmen for their service and dedication to our country. We cannot say it enough. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
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