ON THE VANGUARD

MIGHTY MAN OF VALOR
“When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, ‘The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.’”
“’But Lord,’ Gideon asked, ‘how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I and the least in my family.”
“’The Lord answered, ‘I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.’”
Judges 6:12, 15-16

Prior to 1941, no African American had ever piloted in the United States military. However, after a checklist of moves stemmed from the United States Congress, an all-black combat unit was formed. The policy of allowing these men entrance consisted not only of flight experience, but also physical and mental qualifications. As the Congress expected very few applicants to fulfill these restrictive specifications, they were left in awe as the Air Corps received an abundance of applications, many of whom had taken part in the Civilian Pilot Training Program from 1939 forward. These men hailed from all over the United States in an act of patriotism. They were known as the Tuskegee Airmen.
The first aviation cadet class for these men began in July 1941 and was completed nine months later in March 1942. Of the thirteen airmen who started in the class, only five completed the training successfully. As the years continued, more and more were allowed entrance in the military program, totaling more than nine hundred by the end of 1946. Completing more than two hundred combat missions, the Tuskegee Airmen did not lose a single bomber to enemy fire. This statistic was unmatched by any other fighter group of its time.
Yet, even with the military success unmatched by any, the men of this all-black unit faced an even worse foe. These men found themselves enlisted in two wars – the obvious overseas combat against the Axis, and the war against racism. Stemmed from hatred within the military as well as overseas, they were simply looked down on because of color. They flew clean and went extra mile in proving their skill, yet were treated as trainees and denied the right to enter the Field Officers’ Club, which resulted in arrest when they attempted. Not until 1948 did President Harry S. Truman enact Executive Order Number 9981, allowing equal treatment and opportunity of all men serving in the United States military, regardless of color. This step became the paved road for the end of racial segregation not only for the military, but also in America overall.
Genesis 1:27 affirms that we are all made in God’s image, His imago dei. Yet for so many, the battle of self image and poor self esteem continues on. Whether it be forced on us, as with the Tuskegee Airmen who fought their own additional battle over skin color, or allowed in our own minds based on generations and events past, as seen with Gideon, God says to us that we are His mighty men of valor. It is high time for us to listen to what God says about us and stop negating. God has called us brave, strong, wise, and a force to be reckoned with as we stand in His strength. Let us move forward in the knowledge that what He says about us stands, period.
Now rise up mighty man of valor, and join me ON THE VANGUARD!

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_Airmen
http://www.tuskegeeairmen.org/Tuskegee_Airmen_History.html
http://www.tuskegee.edu/global/story.asp?s=1127695