Relates to designating the fourth Thursday in March as "Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day"

• Republican6
• Democratic3

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why James Skoufis says this is needed

Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day honors the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African Americans allowed to serve as aviators in the United States Armed Forces. The Tuskegee Airmen served during World War II. The Tuskegee program began in 1941 at Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama. African Americans were allowed to start training as airmen in response to the era's civil rights movement, specifically, pressure put on the Air Force by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The individuals who first participated in this program were known as "Red Tails." Moton Field, where the African American pilots trained, would come to be known as the Tuskegee Army Airfield. The nearby Maxwell Field was used exclusively by white pilots. In March 1941, the 99th Pursuit Squadron became the first group to complete its training. The Squadron deployed first to North Africa in April 1943, then to Sicily and mainland Italy. The next group to finish training was the 332nd Fighter Group. This group consisted of the 100th, 301st, and 302nd Fighter Squadrons. These airmen were deployed to Italy in July 1944. The Tuskegee airmen fought with courage and dignity on behalf of their country. The 99th Fighter Squadron and the 332nd Fighter Group, another Tuskegee Airmen Squadron earned three Distinguished Unit Citations. Collectively, the Tuskegee airmen earned fourteen Bronze Stars, one hundred and fifty Distinguished Flying Crosses, seven hundred and forty-four Air Medals, and eight Purple Hearts. In other firsts, the Tuskegee Airmen were the first African Americans to work as U. S. Army Flight Surgeon as well as the first African Americans to be admitted into the U. S. Army School of Aviation Medicine. After the close of World War II, some of the Tuskegee airmen continued to serve in the United States Air Force, while others became flight instructors. The fourth Thursday in March was chosen to honor the group because it was in March 1941 that the first Tuskegee airmen completed their train- ing and earned their wings. It was also the fourth Thursday in March 2007, when former President George W. Bush awarded the Tuskegee Airmen with the Congressional Gold Medal. Three states (Arizona, Colorado, and Virginia) and the District of Columbia have already adopted the fourth Thursday in March as Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day. New York State is home to several surviving Tuskegee Airmen, including William Johnson, Reginald Brewster, Herbert Thorpe, and Albert Beckett. New York State executive law currently commemorates specific calendar days for veterans of the Gulf War, Vietnam War, and Korean War as well as for Prisoners of War, women veterans, and Gold Star Mothers. The Battle of Plattsburgh, the War of 1812, and the attack on Pearl Harbor are similarly commemorated. By enacting this bill into law, New York State would grant much-deserved recognition to the Tuskegee Airmen, who-despite facing racism both with- in and outside the military-courageously served their country and ensure that their heroic legacy lives on in history.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.