To award a congressional gold medal on behalf of the Tuskegee Airmen, collectively, in recognition of their unique military record, which inspired revolutionary reform in the Armed Forces.

Mr. Speaker, the modesty of the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus amazes even me, because destiny would have it that this is the last day of African History Month and he is the chairman of the historic Congressional Black Caucus. So that shatters protocol, and I thank him for his friendship, his support and the leadership that he has given to all Americans through the Congressional Black Caucus.

Today probably will be one of the closest days to bipartisanship that this august body has seen in a long, long time. And, of course, Chairman Ney is right: what a historic day that was when we went and saw how many tens of thousands of Americans were prepared to give up their lives, knowing the dangers of the Normandy beachhead.

We were there with Sam Gibbons and the leadership, and it did make all of us so proud to be Americans that day. We were not Republicans, Democrats or liberals; we were just so proud that we had this great Nation that had gone so far in providing her leadership for those who survived and for those who continue to serve.

We have 300 cosponsors of this bill in this body, and I am thoroughly convinced, Mr. Speaker, that the only reason we do not have the rest is that somebody on staff did not handle this right. Because there has been no one that has not felt proud to be able to say three things: thank you, thank you, thank you.

It is absolutely amazing how great this country is when you find young Americans, black as they may be, victims of racism though they may be, fighting to be able to defend this country against the Germans and the Italians and against the Japanese.

The NAACP fought and won the opportunity for this group of young people to be trained, even though the Army had already ruled that they could not be black airmen, or colored airmen or Negro airmen. So they won the right to put their lives on the line and share in the sacrifice to which this great Republic was attached.

I have to thank Barney Frank. He gave me all the questions to ask Chairman Oxley so that I could get the right answers in order to expedite the bill. And Mike Oxley has just been absolutely terrific, as has the Speaker in making sure that we guided this through the parliamentary procedure to be where we are today.

And talking about bipartisanship, Mr. Hunter, the chairman of the Defense Committee, joined in with Mr. Skelton, the ranking Democrat, to send a letter to all of his colleagues asking them to see their way clear to support this bill.

And, of course, the last is something that I have to thank Secretary Rumsfeld for. My book is not completed, and I am glad it is not, so I can thank him publicly for sending out a letter to the House and Senate recommending a gold medal for the historic Tuskegee Airmen. They fought not really just for black folks, but they fought for a better America. They fought for a better world. They were pioneers not only in fighting the war, but in showing and giving self-esteem to so many younger people, inspiring them to do what so many Americans just dream of doing, and that is to fly a plane in the defense of their country.

Even though they were denied all types of recognition during the time that they served, and even though they were subjected to all types of scourges by other people, they still continued to fight. There were 450 Tuskegee Airmen that served with the 99th Fighter Squadron and were able to then join with the 332nd Fighter Group in the 15th Air Force.

They flew 15,500 combat sorties, including more than 6,000 missions for the 99th Squadron before July 1944. Sixty-six pilots lost their lives and were killed in action. Thirty-two were

downed or became prisoners of war. And among the outfit they received 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 744 Air Medals, eight Purple Hearts and 14 Bronze Stars.

My colleagues, in all of the time that they were protecting American bombers on their missions from the United States to Europe, in all of that time, no matter how many times that they were shot down, they never lost a bomber, never lost a United States bomber throughout World War II. They set an example for all of us somehow to try to follow, and that is that the vestiges of slavery were not over then and they are not over now. And certainly, when we take a look at those brave young men and women that are fighting in Iraq, we cannot tell whether they are Republican or Democrats; and we do not care whether they are Black, White, or Brown. They are sharing the sacrifices that this great Nation is involved in.

I am so proud that because of my age, my community and my friendship, that the spirit of the Tuskegee Airmen is not involved with history books with me because one of those great airmen happens to be one of my very, very best friends, and that is Percy Sutton. Percy not only flew the planes but he was involved in intelligence and he provided the leadership, not just in the service, but became a leader in the civil rights movement and became a friend and advocate in support of Malcolm X, became the borough president of Manhattan, ran for mayor, and then when that did not work out, started out in business to become one of the most successful people in communication that we have had in the city and in the country.

And so, what did that mean to a Charlie Rangel, who came from a depressed community? We had one symbol of hope. It was not World War II. It was restoring the Apollo Theater, and he brought back the Apollo, and with the empowerment zones, I invite all of you to be my guest in seeing the restoration of a historic beautiful community, Harlem. And Percy Sutton is the father and the creator of giving that type of leadership to my hometown.

What about Roscoe Brown?

Listen carefully. Roscoe Brown, with a single-engine fighter, was the first American to shoot down a German jet, with a propeller plane, was the first to shoot down a German jet fighter plane. And after this, he did not give up his struggle. He continued in education, became president of a university, and today still teaches in the Harlem community.

Lee Archer. As you pointed out, Mr. Chairman, a guy who dreamed as a kid and fulfilled that dream and then finally went into business and even today, even though he is retired, provides the leadership for small business people and others.

As we salute these people today, it gives us an opportunity to think about today and tomorrow, where color should never be an issue with those people that should not have to put their lives on the line to be respected as being Americans who are fully entitled to all of the benefits.

And to the Members today, I am certain that I speak for the members of the Tuskegee Airmen, let this be the beginning. As we say thank you, let me never have to apologize for forgetting someone or not giving them an opportunity. Let this be the day where Democrats and Republicans can come together, ranking Members and majority Members, in saying as we look at the past and see where we made mistakes; let this be the guidance to provide leadership for all of us to avoid the opportunities in the future.

To all of you who have supported the bill, on behalf of those survivors and their families of the Tuskegee Airmen, I say three things: thank you, thank you, and thank you very much.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay homage to the Tuskegee Airmen, whose outstanding valor in World War II inspired revolutionary reform in the U.S. Armed Services. H.R. 1259 which I introduced on March 10, 2005 recognizes these achievements and on behalf of the people of the United States conferring upon the Tuskegee Airmen the Congressional Gold Medal, Congress' highest award. Today, I stand before this House with unbounded joy and pride as we prepare to enact this legislation honoring the Tuskegee Airmen who are still with us and honoring those who have passed on. I feel the joy of the wives and widows sons and daughters of Tuskegee Airmen who have waited a long time for this day.

I wish to thank the more than 300 Members of the House who signed on as cosponsors making this a truly bipartisan effort. I wish to commend particularly Chairman Michael Oxley and Ranking Member Barney Frank, of the authorizing Committee on Financial Services as well as Chairman Duncan Hunter and Ranking Member Ike Skelton of the Armed Services Committee who made a bipartisan appeal to the entire House in support of this bill. I would be remiss not to mention Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld who commended this bill to the Members of the House.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1259) to authorize the President to award a gold medal on behalf of the Congress, collectively, to the Tuskegee Airmen in recognition of their unique military record, which inspired revolutionary reform in the Armed Forces, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1259, introduced by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel), which would award a Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor the Congress can bestow, on the Tuskegee Airmen.

Frankly, Mr. Speaker, this award is long, long overdue. Pilots of the 99th Fighter Squadron, including the first group of black pilots who trained at the little airstrip in Alabama near Tuskegee College, and later the 100th, 301st, and 302nd, were not even expected by some to be capable of meeting the challenge. Cruelly, studies commissioned by the Army War College in the 1920s and 1930s speculated that African Americans were capable neither of military leadership nor of flying increasingly complex fighter aircraft.

Tell that theory to Lee A. Archer, the young man from Yonkers who grew up dreaming of being a fighter pilot and reading comic books about the gallant fighter pilots of the First World War. Lee Archer flew 169 combat missions in his P-40 Tomahawk, P-39 Cobra, P-47 Thunderbolt, and his P-51 Mustang, known as the Macon Belle. He became an ace, notching five downed enemy aircraft in his career.

Tell that also to then-Captain Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., a West Point grad, who was one of the first 13 pilots trained near Tuskegee and became the first black flag officer in the Air Force, retiring with three stars and being granted a fourth in retirement by President Clinton.

Tell that to Lieutenant Clarence ``Lucky'' Luster, who destroyed three German planes and earned a Distinguished Flying Cross the day Archer notched his first victory.

In all, Mr. Speaker, these men, who were not supposed to be able to fly, came home from piloting their distinctive, red-tailed fighters with 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, Bronze and Silver Stars and Legions of Merit, a Presidential Unit Citation, and even the Red Star of Yugoslavia. They also came home with the knowledge that no one could plausibly assert that a segregated armed services made any sense, and integration soon followed.

After the war, these men became business and political and civic leaders, many quite successful both in and outside the military, blazing trails at home the way they had blazed the trails in the skies of North Africa and Europe. Today, Mr. Speaker, we are here during Black History Month to add one more honor to that list.

The legislation before us, cosponsored by 308 Members of the House, seeks to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Tuskegee Airmen as a group and give it to the Smithsonian for display, with provisions that the medal may be loaned out temporarily to appropriate sites: perhaps to Moton Field in Alabama, where they trained, or to the Air Force Academy, where a statute of a Tuskegee Airman stands in Honor Park.

Rarely, Mr. Speaker, do we get to do something in this great Chamber that is so widely supported, so appropriate, and so long overdue. It is a pleasure to be here today with Mr. Watt, who is managing the bill, and also again with Mr. Rangel and the many sponsors of this. Also, I can tell you that we were there for the 60th anniversary with Mr. Rangel and the Speaker and leaders, and my wife and Mrs. Rangel, and it was a pleasure to be there on that historic day with our congressional delegation.

I commend Mr. Rangel and the other Members for supporting this, and I urge immediate passage of H.R. 1259.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Schwarz).

Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, let me just say it is a great day for the Tuskegee Airmen. It is a great day for the United States, and it is a shining day for this institution of the House.

I think that if you look at the quote from Langston Hughes, a great African American poet, ``Dream your dreams, but be willing to pay the sacrifice to make them come true,'' our veterans have done that historically throughout the history of this country, and the Tuskegee Airmen have done that.

Again, I thank Congressman Rangel for giving them the honor they so much deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, let me thank the distinguished gentleman from North Carolina. Let me, as well, appreciate the fact, as Mr. Rangel has said, that we have a bipartisan moment. I thank the chairman, Mr. Ney, for his support and leadership.

Mr. Rangel, might I acknowledge you for a brilliant stroke of patriotic genius, for you have recognized that those who battled on the forefront of World War II, who may have worn a

different skin color, came home not in dishonor, but not with much honor. And so I am very humbled to have been one of the cosponsors to join you in the recognition, collectively, of the numbers of airmen who can claim Tuskegee, Alabama and the Tuskegee Institute as a starting point of them being able to reach their dreams of serving on the front lines in World War II and fighting for their America.

As Mr. Rangel said earlier, these individuals suffered in a segregated America and, in fact, were rejected and rebuffed when they asked to join the United States military to sacrifice their lives. But they were persistent, and they got called to be the Tuskegee Airmen and there were personnel sent from Washington to train them. And sometimes they were thinking, why did I get this assignment? But now we are here today to honor them with a Congressional Gold Medal, some 992 black pilots, and then of course, any number of civilians who were likewise engaged.

Thirty years after the war was over, you heard nothing about the Tuskegee Airmen. And then, of course, they did the wise thing by establishing the first club.

I too have a personal story, because I am proud to say that my father-in-law, Phillip Ferguson Lee, was a Tuskegee Airman; and from the time of my marriage in the early years, what an honor to travel around him or to meet those gentlemen. I was honored to be able to see those gentlemen in their distinguished jackets, senior as they were, but proud and strong. Thank you, Mr. Rangel. Thank you to the Tuskegee Airmen. Thank you, America, for recognizing these battle-worn soldiers. God bless them and God bless America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1259, ``to authorize the President to award a gold medal on behalf of the Congress, collectively, to the Tuskegee Airmen in recognition of their unique military record, which inspired revolutionary reform in the Armed Forces.''

On July 19, 1941 the American Air Force created an all black flight training program at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. The Tuskegee Airmen were not only unique in their military record, but they inspired revolutionary reform in the Armed Forces, paving the way for integration of the armed services in the U.S.

The first class of cadets began in July 1941 with 13 men, all of whom had college degrees, some with PhD's and all had pilot's licenses. From all accounts, the training of the Tuskegee Airmen was an experiment established to prove that ``coloreds'' were incapable of operating expensive and complex combat aircraft. Stationed in the segregated South, the black cadets were denied rifles.

The Tuskegee Airmen were credited with 261 aircraft destroyed, 148 aircraft damaged, 15,553 combat sorties and 1,578 missions over Italy and North Africa. They destroyed or damaged over 950 units of ground transportation and escorted more than 200 bombing missions. ``We proved that the antidote to racism is excellence in performance,'' said retired Lt. Col. Herbert Carter, who started his military career as a pilot and maintenance officer with the Tuskegee Airmen's 99th Fighter Squadron. Clearly, the experiment, as it was called, was an unqualified success.

The Tuskegee Airmen were awarded three Presidential Unit Citations, 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses and Legions of Merit, along with the Red Star of Yugoslavia, nine Purple Hearts, 14 Bronze Stars and more than 700 Air medals and clusters. It goes without question that the Tuskegee Airmen are deserving of the Congressional Gold Medal.

I would like to thank Congressman Rangel for his work in bringing this legislation to the floor of Congress, and his efforts in gathering 308 cosigners. This is an important, and long overdue piece of legislation. I ask my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to give their support to H.R. 1259, authorizing ``the President to award a gold medal on behalf of the Congress, collectively, to the Tuskegee Airmen . . .''

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.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of H.R. 1259, which authorizes the President to award the Tuskegee Airmen with the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor. In 1941, an experiment that began as an effort to prove the validity of a 1925 study that claimed African Americans lacked both the intelligence and courage to fly planes during combat, finished as a monumental testament that African Americans had both the aptitude, skill and valor, to not only become military pilots, but to meet and exceed any challenge presented. I also want to take this time to thank and congratulate my good friend and colleague, Representative Charlie Rangel for introducing this legislation.

The story of the Tuskegee Airmen began when Yancy Williams, a Howard college student sued the U.S. Government for the right to participate as an aviation cadet. The Government was forced to either prove that blacks could not learn to fly or to accept them into their civilian pilot training program. As a result, a separate, all-black training facility was built by the Army Air Corps at Tuskegee Army Airfield. Though great racism existed at that time, and many of the original instructors were white, there was very little bias and prejudice reported by instructors during the training.

The first class of the Tuskegee Airmen graduated 5 of 13 cadets, who were made a part of the famous 99th Fighting Squadron. Additional pilots were assigned to the 332nd Fighter Group. Though it was 8 months after the second class graduated, the 99th Fighting Squadron finally deployed to the North Africa as a part of the Allied Armies. The Airmen soon built their reputation as both talented and fearless. The Germans nicknamed them ``Schawarte Vogelmenshen'' or Black Birdmen, they also earned the nickname, Redtail Angels, from American bombing crews, due to their reputation for being the only unit who never lost a bomber to enemy fighters during escort missions.

In all, between 1942 and 1946, 926 black pilots earned their wings and commissions and 450 of those pilots saw combat during World War II. As a result of their combat service, the Tuskegee Airmen logged 15,533 sorties in the skies over North Africa, Italy and Germany. They destroyed or damaged 409 enemy aircraft, fuel and ammunitions dumps and escorted 200 bomber missions. In total, the Tuskegee Airmen were awarded 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 8 Purple Hearts, 14 Bronze Stars, 744 Air Medals and Clusters and 3 Distinguished Unit Citations. This record is a soaring achievement that speaks to the depth of talent, heart and courage that they all exemplified. There were also huge human costs for their sacrifice as the Airmen suffered 66 combat deaths, and 33 were captured as prisoners of war. The sacrifice and contributions of the Tuskegee Airmen were the catalyst for President Truman issuing Executive Order 9981, which as of July 26, 1948, desegregated the United States Armed Forces.

The Tuskegee Airmen's contribution to this country is immeasurable. Their display of heroism and perseverance deserves our eternal gratitude. The Tuskegee Airmen are indeed justified of receiving Congress's highest honor, the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor.