The Tuskegee Airmen

"Why'd you join the air core, boy?" "This country has enemies sir, and there are people who need protecting from those enemies." "What people, nigger?" "All people, sir. To my knowledge the Germans aren't sparing the colored." "To my knowledge the colored aren't up to fighting the Germans, let alone beat them." "Max Schmeling ( a German boxer who was defeated by a black boxer named Joe Lewis) found out differently, sir." This scene was taken from the movie The Tuskegee Airmen. The movie focuses on four specific men who begin flight training in June 1941. One commits suicide by crashing his plane after he learns he's being kicked out of the program for performing an unauthorized stunt. The other three obtained their wings, becoming part of the first black squadron. Although it took the 99th squadron awhile to participate in active duty, they eventually were transferred to active service. During the time they were in North Africa, one of the three pilots focused on would be shot down. The 99th then found out that they would be transferred to Europe, where the main action was. There they would become bomber escorts. Another one of the pilots focused on would die while protecting his bombers. Knowing he is going to die, Billy "Train" Roberts starts to sing the 99th fight song. His best friend and partner, Hannibal Lee, accepts that Train is going down and comforts him by singing along. The white bomber pilots are listening through the radio, touched by this display of bravery and friendship. Later they ask specifically for the 302nd to escort them on an important mission, knowing that they are the best escorts around-despite the color of their skin. The movie ends with these facts. Between May 1943 and June 1945, 450 Tuskegee Airmen were awarded more than 850 medals-something Hannibal and Billy were convinced would never happen. 66 Tuskegee airmen died in battle. And the 332nd (the 100th, 301st, 302nd, and 99th) Fighter Group never lost a single bomber to enemy action. They were that good. But why were they so good? I think it's because they had something to prove. They knew who they were, and they knew what they wanted to prove. They had been pushed to limits most white airmen weren't pushed to. They would gladly give up their life to serve their country and those they escorted. They were the best. And so should we be. As Christians, we are apart of a larger kingdom, a kingdom that is not on this earth. We are ambassadors for a God so powerful he formed the world with words. Can you imagine that? Smiles put down a quote that sums it up pretty well. I won't repeat it, but you can go back and read it. As ambassadors, shouldn't we be the best? And how do we become the best? Through training ourselves, through being in contact with our boss, and through being in contact with other ambassadors. There's also another point I would like to make. The Tuskegee airmen faced many problems and difficulties. They lost friends, were accused of laziness and bad work habits, they had congressmen wanting them to fail, they had prejudiced commanders and fellow pilots, but they faced the trials and came through swinging. Trials enrich us, strengthen us, and purify us. When true gold is heated up and melted, not burned, the impure substances float to the top, allowing the goldsmiths to remove it. The more meltings the gold goes through, the purer and purer it becomes. Which is what the author meant when he wrote "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials . These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine (pure) and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:6-7. You see, trials are there for a reason, much like exercise. Trials exercise your faith and makes you stronger, richer, and purer. Whatever your going through, face it bravely, with the knowledge you'll come through, even better than you were before. Sometimes you have to face the storm to be able to sail at all.