Hornet Nation recently met the Tuskegee Airmen during an fun(d) raising celebration in El Segundo, California. This is an chance to raise funds for Northrop Grumman's Holiday Giving program.

In spite of adversity and limited opportunities, African Americans have played a significant role in U.S. military history over the past 200 years. They were denied military leadership roles and skilled training because many believed they lacked qualifications for combat duty. Before 1940, African Americans were barred from flying for the U.S. military. Civil rights organizations and the black press exerted pressure that resulted in the formation of an all African-American pursuit squadron based in Tuskegee, Alabama, in 1941. They became known as the Tuskegee Airmen.

For more information on the Tuskegee Airmen, go to

http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/tuskegee/airoverview.htm

Hornet Nation thanks everyone who has served our country.