by Brig. Gen. Henry L. Taylor
Air Force Materiel Command

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio — Every
February we pause to celebrate African American History Month. A question that eventually comes up each year is "why is it important to recognize African American history?"

As I pondered that question this year, I was reminded of a
quote from the book, "The Most Important Thing I Know." The book, written by Lorne A. Adrain, is a compilation of inspiring thoughts and words by some of the great leaders in the world.

In the introduction, Adrain states, ""People need to hear messages that honor the dignity of human potential." The annual pause to reflect on African American history gives us a chance to honor the dignity of the human potential and to identify the shoulders on which we stand.

There are many types of histories. We all have personal histories. Our military has an institutional history. We have national histories and state histories, and every race has a history. I would like to share some personal and institutional histories to show the shoulders on which I stand as a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force.

I spent most of my time growing up in Charleston, S. C.,
living with my maternal grandmother. I spent many nights in front of a big wood-burning stove, listening to my grandmother tell stories and learning the ways of the world.

My grandmother would always say, "When it comes time to bury me ... take me back to Heyward." All the time growing up, I did not know what Heyward meant or where it was located. When my grandmother died, we took her to White Hall, S. C., and buried here where we always buried our folks.

It took someone studying our family history for me to learn the rest of the story about Heyward.

You see, we buried my grandmother and the rest of our folks on a plot of land that was set aside to bury the slaves who worked at a place called Heyward Plantation. We have been< burying the descendants of those slaves there ever since.

My mother is buried there on a row with her mother, her brother, her aunts and uncles. I can walk down that row and go back nearly 200 years of my personal history. I walk down that row and I see the names of the people on whose shoulders I stand.

We don't have an Air Force general officer on that row ... yet. But one of these days my kids will be able to walk back 200 years of their history and turn around and walk from servitude to service.

I have spent 30 years in the service of my country in two different branches of the military. I served four years in the Navy, and, for the last 26 years, I have served in the Air Force.

The military as an institution has a history.

African Americans have served in every American war, starting with the Revolutionary War. As a matter of fact, military service has been a powerful weapon in the pursuit of social improvement for individuals and African Americans as a group. But it has not been easy.

In 1866, the congress of the United States established an army to take on the challenges of the westward expansion of the country. Parts of that army were the 9th and 10th Cavalries and the 24th and 25th Infantries. These units were comprised of black soldiers who later gained fame as the Buffalo Soldiers.

In 1876, the 10th Cavalry received an officer named Henry O. Flipper. He was the first African American to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. During his four years at West Point, he was given the silent treatment. None of the other cadets spoke to him except in the performance of official duties. But Flipper was determined to weather all challenges. He stated that he and other black cadets wanted "to be left alone to our own resources for study and improvement, for enjoyment in whatever way we chose to seek it ... we care not for social recognition. We did not expect it."

It is this example of self-determination that I stand on. Flipper persevered at West Pont; he endured unfair treatment on active duty that eventually led to his discharge from the Army. He went on to a successful career in mining and surveying. But I stand on the shoulders of Flipper, one of the first commissioned black officers in the United States military.

In January 1941, the Army announced the formation of its first all black air corps unit, the 99th Pursuit Squadron. These men would become fighter pilots. Many consider this to be the most challenging type of military flying. An army airfield in Tuskegee, Ala., became the center for training these black pilots, and they became known as the Tuskegee Airmen. The activity at Tuskegee was first called an experiment because there were many who believed that blacks didn't have the "right stuff" to fly and be fighter pilots. But the Tuskegee Airmen proved them wrong. They never lost a bomber they were escorting to enemy fire. The Tuskegee Airmen fought for the right to fly. They fought for the right to deploy to Europe. And they fought for the right to engage in combat. I proudly stand on the shoulders of the courage of the men who are called Tuskegee Airmen.

We pause each year to celebrate African American history. But we all have histories. I have shared a glimpse into my personal history and the institutional history of our military. But the message I offer is straightforward. The dignity of the human spirit and human potential are really the true lessons of history. It can be a lesson that allows each one of us to see the shoulders on which we stand.

Courtesy of Air Force News