I Met a Tuskegee Airman. He Doesn’t Want His History Erased

At nearly 100 years old, General Woodhouse is still fighting to keep America’s true history alive

Kahlil Greene

Apr 05, 2025

Last week, I attended the 55th anniversary celebration of the Afro American Cultural Center at Yale University. The event was a gathering of Black excellence across generations, featuring prominent alumni such as Angela Bassett, civic leaders, and artists. But the person who left the most lasting impression was Brigadier General Enoch "Woody" Woodhouse II, one of the last living Tuskegee Airmen.

I'm fighting to preserve stories like General Woodhouse's before they're erased from history—and I need your help! With no corporate backing or wealthy sponsors, this work depends entirely on readers like you. If you believe in journalism that stands up for historical truth when others won't, please consider a paid subscription today!

The Journey of General Woodhouse

At 97 years old, General Woodhouse walked into the room as both an honored guest and a living monument. He has been recognized by presidents, decorated for his service, and immortalized in a mural at Logan Airport.

Born and raised in Roxbury, Massachusetts, Woodhouse graduated from Boston English High School. With only eight dollars in his pocket, he boarded a train from Boston to Texas, only to be forcibly removed in St. Louis because of his race. A Black porter found him waiting at the station and explained that he had to wait for “the train we ride,” referring to the segregated transportation system that dictated the lives of Black Americans in the Jim Crow South.

Once he arrived at the military base, Woodhouse encountered a system designed to humiliate rather than train Black recruits. Assigned to menial labor such as street sweeping and truck driving, Black soldiers were largely excluded from formal military instruction. He described the early days of his service as physically and spiritually isolating. As the son of an African Methodist Episcopal minister, he was particularly struck by the absence of chaplains or pastoral care for Black troops.

Despite the institutional barriers, Woodhouse found moments of dignity and opportunity. His intelligence, particularly his habit of reading classical literature and knowledge of many languages, attracted the attention of a white officer who recommended him for Officer Candidate School. Although he did not receive combat pilot training at Tuskegee, Woodhouse became a paymaster and fiscal officer for several bases, a role that placed him in charge of distributing salaries.

After the war, Woodhouse earned a Yale degree, studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, and graduated from Boston University Law School. He practiced law for over 40 years and remained an active public servant. In 2007, President George W. Bush awarded him the Congressional Gold Medal for his military service.

The Legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen

The Tuskegee Airmen were the first Black military aviators in the United States Armed Forces. From 1941 to 1946, nearly 1,000 Black pilots were trained at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama. These men, along with thousands of support personnel, challenged every racist assumption that had previously barred African Americans from military aviation.

Their accomplishments are indisputable. The 332nd Fighter Group, known as the “Red Tails,” flew more than 15,000 combat sorties in World War II and maintained one of the lowest bomber loss rates of any escort group in the war. They were awarded multiple Presidential Unit Citations, including one for their longest escort mission to Berlin on March 24, 1945. On that mission, they successfully defended American bombers and destroyed several German jet fighters.

Their success played a major role in President Harry Truman’s decision to issue Executive Order 9981 in 1948, which desegregated the United States Armed Forces. The Tuskegee Airmen proved that excellence was not bound by race. They fundamentally altered the trajectory of civil rights within the military and beyond.

The Political Erasure of Black Military History

Despite their achievements, the story of the Tuskegee Airmen is now under threat. In January 2025, the Air Force removed their history from its training curriculum. This action was part of a broader rollback of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives directed by a new presidential executive order.

In response, Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., the official organization preserving the Airmen's legacy, issued a public statement condemning the decision. They emphasized that the inclusion of the Tuskegee story in military training was not a form of political advocacy but rather an essential part of American history. The organization noted that more than 16,000 men and women contributed to the Tuskegee Airmen program, including pilots, mechanics, medics, and civilians of all races.

The decision to erase this story is not only an affront to the Black community but also a distortion of the nation’s military past. It undermines the sacrifices of those who served and sends a message that their contributions are no longer valued in the national narrative.

What General Woodhouse Wants Us to Remember

General Woodhouse does not romanticize the past. He tells the truth plainly. The racism he endured did not break him, but it never disappeared either. What sustained him, he says, was a mantra: “No matter how bad things are, you can try to get out of it, or if you can’t get out of it, make the best of it.”

But remembering is not enough, not now, at least. Honoring the Tuskegee Airmen means ensuring that their stories remain a required part of American military education, protecting historical truth from political agendas, and recognizing that the fight for racial equity did not end with their service.

"We were the greatest generation," Woodhouse said, "because we all served our country. All of us, together." If we want to live up to that legacy, we must be willing to defend the truth of it, especially when it is under attack.

References

1. Bay State Banner. “A Veteran’s Life Well Lived: General ‘Woody’ Woodhouse.” Bay State Banner, November 6, 2024.
2. Tuskegee University Office of Marketing and Communications. “Tuskegee Airmen Facts.” Tuskegee University, 2025.
3. Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. “Statement from Tuskegee Airmen Inc. in Response to the Removal of the Tuskegee Airmen Story from Air Force Training Courses.” Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., January 25, 2025.