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No, Trump did not cancel the Tuskegee Airmen
American Thinker ^ | 01/27/2025 | Andrea Widburg

Posted on 01/27/2025 9:30:34 AM PST by SeekAndFind

President Trump has banned DEI from the federal government, but the left isn’t going to let it go. The San Antonio Express-News reported the latest race-based hoax, which is the claim that President Trump’s order banning DEI means that the Tuskegee Airmen have been erased from Air Force history as taught to new recruits.

The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of blacks, ranging from pilots to cooks and nurses, who formed the Army Air Corps’ 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group. They had an excellent combat record, and their abilities went a long way to breaking the color barrier in the federal government, including the military, that Woodrow Wilson, a Democrat, had instituted.

We remember the Tuskegee Airman today as an important part of American history. They also drive home the point that people’s skin color is the least important thing about them when considering their abilities. They are Exhibit A for why we need to remove all racial obsessions from the U.S. Military, an organization that must function on merit if it is to function at all.

It was with that laudable, pro-American, and practical goal that Donald Trump signed an executive order ending all “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” programs in the federal government, including in the military. Pete Hegseth, the new Defense Secretary, is all in on this goal:

The President’s guidance (lawful orders) is clear: No more DEI at @DeptofDefense.

The Pentagon will comply, immediately.

No exceptions, name-changes, or delays.

pic.twitter.com/KwRtxYRIbG — Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) January 26, 2025

The military as a whole immediately hastened to comply, leading to several dead web pages that were dedicated to the military’s DEI programs.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: airmen; dei; hegseth; hoax; libhoaxes; libmyths; media; msm; tuskegee; tuskegeeairman
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So far, all good. But then the San Antonio Express-News reported that one Air Force base had purged all mention of the Tuskegee Airman. Just as a warning, as you read this “news” story, note the tone in the first paragraph:

President Donald Trump’s assault on federal diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives has claimed a new victim — the Tuskegee Airmen.


1 posted on 01/27/2025 9:30:34 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind
The entire report downplays is that little word “revised.” Indeed, the way it is used strongly implies that the revision is to complete the process of erasing blacks from military (and American) history.

The story instantly got picked up by other media outlets at home and abroad (e.g., CBS News, USA Today, The Guardian, and BBC).

Every headline accused Donald Trump of forcing the military to erase the Tuskegee Airman. Except, of course, Trump didn’t order anything of the sort.

2 posted on 01/27/2025 9:31:58 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

I’ve been following this controversy at the Express News.

This latest article admits that in fact Trump did NOT cancel the Tuskegee Airman videos.

https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/tuskegee-airmen-video-air-force-changes-course-20057246.php

My guess is that DIE Air Force officials took it upon themselves to create this controversy to retaliate against Trump.


3 posted on 01/27/2025 9:36:17 AM PST by Responsibility2nd (Man made Climate Change is Real. Cal. Officials responsible for the fires just proved it.)
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To: SeekAndFind

For almost the first 50 years after WWII Americans were all taught that the Tuskegee Airmen were perfect and never lost a single plane they were protecting, during the 1990s that absurd version started collapsing, perhaps because of the internet.


4 posted on 01/27/2025 9:41:09 AM PST by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: Responsibility2nd
According to the memorandum that went out to Air Force personnel on January 22, the Air Force was to remove “all outward facing media” from the Air Force Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) offices, withdraw “final or pending documents, directive, orders, materials, and equity plans” that the DEIA had issued, and “cancel any DEIA-related training and terminate any DEIA-related contract.”



There’s not a word in there about erasing blacks and women from the Air Force’s history.

The reason that these specific videos were withdrawn was because they weren’t taught as part of a general orientation about the Air Force’s storied history and the many people of all races and both sexes who served honorably in the Air Force. Instead, as AP accurately reports, the materials were part of a specific DEI curriculum—and the curriculum is paused.

This matters because Trump’s executive order makes it clear that, while he is throwing out DEI, he has no intention of tossing valuable babies out with that racist bathwater.

5 posted on 01/27/2025 9:42:44 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: Responsibility2nd
My guess is that DIE Air Force officials took it upon themselves to create this controversy to retaliate against Trump.

That was my first thought when I first heard of this news item. Some DB on base decided to take it upon themselves to stir s**t.
6 posted on 01/27/2025 9:44:51 AM PST by Army Air Corps (Four Fried Chickens and a Coke)
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To: SeekAndFind
Watch the films...great stuff

The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of blacks, ranging from pilots to cooks and nurses, who formed the Army Air Corps’ 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group. They had an excellent combat record, and their abilities went a long way to breaking the color bar in the south.

Both groups served in Italy during WWII.,

the best was the Women's (Women's Army Air Corp) in Italy group that handled the mail to and from the the USA and the front line soldiers...

They cleared several warehouses full of mail ...was a priority from top brass in military as morale was declining

Key was the hand written unit insignias on the mail...enabled identification of soldier and location in the field.

Mail got delivered

7 posted on 01/27/2025 9:46:04 AM PST by spokeshave (Proud Boys, Angry Dads. Grumpy Grandads & Curmudgeons)
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To: SeekAndFind

It’s called: Malicious compliance.

Don’t like speed limits: Drive 15mph below the speed limit to block traffic.

It’s taking an order to it’s logical extreme.


8 posted on 01/27/2025 9:58:24 AM PST by Brookhaven (Ted Cruz said Jan. 6 was terrorism; don't forget that the next time you vote.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Yeah, I got an email from my congresswoman - Terri Sewell. Outraged and ranting that DJT had ordered that the Tuskegee Airman story not be taught. Ridiculous.


9 posted on 01/27/2025 9:59:36 AM PST by Tuscaloosa Goldfinch (Abortion is just a new spin on human sacrifice by worshiperswere of self and selfishness. )
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To: Responsibility2nd
My guess is that DIE Air Force officials took it upon themselves to create this controversy to retaliate against Trump.

100% that's what this was. They're attempting to give the administration a public black eye on their way out the door.
10 posted on 01/27/2025 10:02:28 AM PST by Antoninus (Republicans are all honorable men.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Erasing history only comes to their rotted little minds because it is the first thing that they would want to do (and have been doing).


11 posted on 01/27/2025 10:05:24 AM PST by Teacher317
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To: Responsibility2nd

In President Trump’s state of the union address in Feb.4.2020,, President Trump recognized Charles McGee , a Tuskegee airman with his grandson,, If i remember right, some democrats did not stand and show respect for this patriot.


12 posted on 01/27/2025 10:05:32 AM PST by Sipp
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To: SeekAndFind
So far, all good. But then the San Antonio Express-News reported that one Air Force base had purged all mention of the Tuskegee Airman. Just as a warning, as you read this “news” story, note the tone in the first paragraph

If this did or does happen it's probably some butt hurt leftist officer doing it on purpose to try and make Trump look bad.

13 posted on 01/27/2025 10:05:47 AM PST by DouglasKC
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To: ansel12

They were a good unit, especially considering the bullshit they had to put up with from openly racist idiots. My physics teacher was one of them. A man of impeccable quality in every way.


14 posted on 01/27/2025 10:07:54 AM PST by DesertRhino (2016 Star Wars, 2020 The Empire Strikes Back, 2025... RETURN OF THE JEDI...)
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To: DesertRhino

Of course they were good but not the way they were taught for decades.

When you have a vast racial group to select a tiny handful from they will be exceptional, it is totally different from modern affirmative action, or even from choosing from a vast group for a vast organization.


15 posted on 01/27/2025 10:14:44 AM PST by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: ansel12

Well by all means, step up and try to tear them down anyway you can. Feel better?


16 posted on 01/27/2025 10:16:04 AM PST by DesertRhino (2016 Star Wars, 2020 The Empire Strikes Back, 2025... RETURN OF THE JEDI...)
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To: DesertRhino

I haven’t said anything tearing them down I agreed with their high quality, you need to reexamine your racist sensitivities.


17 posted on 01/27/2025 10:21:03 AM PST by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: SeekAndFind

The Tuskegee Airmen had to be made because Woodrow Willson, a rabid Southern Democrat and a racist of the first stripe embedded Jim Crow laws into the Federal workforce.

If you are to examine history, all sort of things will surprise you.


18 posted on 01/27/2025 10:23:55 AM PST by ASOC (This space for rent)
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To: SeekAndFind

Sig Christensen is an excellent and well-respected military reporter. I think the truth is in this:

“A retired Air Force general, speaking on condition he not be named, said he suspected lower-level officers overreacted to the DEI directive and went farther than the Trump administration intended in pulling the videos about the Tuskegee Airmen and WASP.”

As the former SJA for all the reconstituted Red Tail squadrons, I can testify that we were proud and honored to be able to carry on their legacy. I don’t know anybody in the Air Force who believes that a pinnacle part of our history should be erased.

Colonel, USAF JAGC (Ret)


19 posted on 01/27/2025 10:28:37 AM PST by jagusafr ( )
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To: SeekAndFind

Trump and the rest of the republicans need to start telling the press that it was a progressive democrat President Woodrow Wilson that reinstated segregation of the Armed Forces.

Surely the National Archives has a copy of Wilson’s directive, and this should be printed out and given to the press at every news conference.


20 posted on 01/27/2025 10:41:08 AM PST by shotgun
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