Aviators Down! Tuskegee Airmen in Michigan

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Strides Towards Standard Methodologies in Aeronautical Archaeology" , at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

During the middle years of World War II, Michigan was selected by the U.S. Army Air Force as a place for advanced training of African-American pilots that had graduated from the Tuskegee flight program in Alabama. The potential for Tuskegee Airmen-related archaeological sites worldwide is low. Outside of Tuskegee Army Airfield itself, very few places where African-American military pilots trained, fought or occupied are conducive for archaeological research. Although many Tuskegee aircraft were involved in accidents, the material remains were almost always recovered, leaving little, if any, trace of the resultant disaster. Aircraft that went missing are a notable exception. Two airplanes, both Bell P-39Q Airacobras, have recently been discovered in the Great Lakes. At least four additional aircraft flown by Tuskegee Airmen remain to be discovered in Lake Huron. Recent efforts to locate, document, recover and conserve Tuskegee aircraft in Michigan waters will be discussed.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2020   •
• Strides Towards Standard Methodologies in Aeronautical Archaeology

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 204