12 photos of the Tuskegee Airmen — the historic African-American World War II aviators who paved the way for the full integration of the US military

• The Tuskegee Airmen were US military aviators who trained at Tuskegee Army Airfield in Alabama during World War II.
• African-Americans, previously barred from flying with the US military, were segregated at Tuskegee.
• Along with Tuskegee, African-American enlisted personnel were trained across the US, according to Daniel Haulman of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
• The pilots, navigators, bombardiers, maintainers, and others who graduated made history as some of the most respected units of the war.
• They flew missions out of North Africa and Italy, providing air support for ground units and escorting bombers.

SEE ALSO: How to tell where a US soldier or veteran has served based on their medals

In 1941, the US military designated Tuskegee, Alabama, as the training ground for African-American pilots

Before 1940, black Americans were barred from flying for the military due to the racist belief that they were "inferior" to whites. 

The US Army published a study in 1925 called "The Use of Negro Manpower in War," which was later used to support segregation.

Though they were finally able to become US military pilots, black Americans trained in segregated facilities

Tuskegee continued training pilots, navigators, bombardiers, and other maintenance and support personnel