Customer Reviews

The Air Force Integrates: 1945-1964 (Smithsonian History of Aviation and Spaceflight Series)

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There's very little attention paid to the post-war experience of african american military airmen like Charles McGee, Harold Hillary, and Dayton Ragland-- pilots who often served as the only blacks in their squadrons both at war (Korea, Vietnam) and stateside. Personal histories of this type are not the point of this book-- a disappointment that I overcame after appreciating Gropman's work for what it is.

"The Air Force Integrates" is an excellent case study of administrative rule-making and implementation. Even the military learned that the best rules are those supported throughout the organization rather than strictly imposed from the top. That the U.S. Air Force (USAF) was able to integrate african americans into its ranks-- well before the army and to a greater degree than the navy-- is testimonial to the organizational finesse and skill of its leadership. But friction arose during the 1950s as the USAF's personnel agenda evolved more rapidly than did the laws and customs of greater American society. While black airmen enjoyed equality on base, surrounding civilian communities were often hostile. To protect the well-being of these airmen and their families, USAF base commanders were inexorably drawn into these civilian disputes. Remedies of questionable legal merit were proposed, but fortunately the Civil Rights Act of 1964 relieved the USAF from becoming embroiled in civil matters that it was not (nor should not) have been prepared to tackle.

"The Air Force Integrates" is a history which draws primarily from the air force's own records, with plenty of newspaper archival research (especially the negro press) and personal interviews conducted back in the 1970s when many of the high ranking officials were still around to recount their thoughts on the subject.

It's interesting to draw parallels between this history and today's armed forces coming to terms with the gender, sexual orientation, and other modern hot-button personnel issues.