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Tuskegee Airman Shares Experience In Ruskin

Tribune photo by JOHN CEBALLOS

Hiram Mann, one of the few surviving members of the Tuskegee Airmen speaks at the SouthShore Regional Library Feb. 25. The Tuskegee Airmen became the country's first unit of African-American airmen.

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By JOHN CEBALLOS

jceballos@tampatrib.com

Published: March 4, 2009

RUSKIN - To help celebrate Black History Month, South Shore recently welcomed a link to one of the proudest chapters for African-Americans in this country.

Retired Lt. Col. Hiram Mann, one of about 300 surviving members of the Tuskegee Airmen, visited the SouthShore Regional Library on Feb. 25 to share his experiences with a standing-room-only crowd of more than 100 visitors in the library's Community Room.

The Tuskegee Airmen was the nickname given to the men who trained at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama starting in 1941 and flew with distinction during World War II. They would also become the U.S. military's first black pilots.

Mann, on the other hand, is eager to expand the definition of the Tuskegee Airmen tag.

"All airmen are not pilots," Mann said. "We also had wonderful people on our flight crew, mess personnel, doctors - anyone who served at least one day on that base is an airman."

The first aviation cadet class began in July 1941 - at a time when it was believed blacks lacked the intelligence and courage to be pilots - and completed training in March 1942.

"When you consider what we went through, I defy anyone to this day to name a more close-knit unit," Mann said.

There were 13 men in that first class, with five completing their training. Mann finished his training assignment in 1944 and went on to fly 48 combat missions in Germany.

According to Mann, the Tuskegee Airmen tag didn't catch on until a few decades later.

"We were not called the Tuskegee Airmen at the time," he said. "That name was given to us retroactively in 1972."

From 1941 through 1946, 994 pilots graduated at Tuskegee Army Air Field.

During World War II, 450 pilots who were trained at Tuskegee served overseas in the 99th Pursuit Squadron or the 332nd Fighter Group, Mann's unit.

In 2007, Mann and his fellow Tuskegee Airmen received the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal, the most prestigious military honor Congress offers.

"He so wanted to be a pilot and a part of the military that he not only endured the usual rigors everybody faces with that tough training, but he also dealt with a great amount of racism," said Tracye Jackson, a library technical assistant for Hillsborough County Public Libraries who followed Mann on his tour of county libraries in February.

Mann, 87, spoke of his training days, as well as a few of his missions. He also spoke of the support he got from Kathadaza, his wife of 68 years. The couple lives in Titusville.

"I named my plane 'Boss Lady' because that's what I called my wife," Mann said. "That plane ran as sweetly as she always was."

The crowd in attendance listened intently as Mann spoke and asked questions.

"Our goal was to help get people out here, but with someone like him speaking, we didn't have to do a lot of work," said Harry Lascola, a member of the Sun City Center chapter of the Military Order of World Wars. The organization supports American military officers of all services and their descendants.

Mann also signed autographs for his audience, which included Linda Meana, an honorary member of the Tuskegee Chicago Chapter who has collected about 20 autographs from the surviving Tuskegee Airmen.

"My parents are retired down here, and I'm visiting," Meana said. "I couldn't pass up the chance to listen to this man speak."

During his talk, Mann told a story about being on a commercial flight a few years ago and meeting a black pilot.

"To see that man flying a plane and seeing how far we've come in about 50 or 60 years made me extremely proud," Mann said.

Reporter John Ceballos can be reached at (813) 865-1555.

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