 Battling segregation, racism and prejudice are just some of the accomplishments of the Tuskegee Airman. An Army Air Corps program that began in 1941 to see if African Americans could serve as military aviators went on to train 992 pilots who destroyed 112 enemy aircraft in combat during World War II. In November, as part of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command's Community Partnership Program, students at Vista High School in California were given the opportunity to see and hear one of the last living Tuskegee Airmen, Lieutenant Colonel retired Robert Friend. You think, what was Tuskegee? The program, what's the rule of law? And what's the idea? Is that changing places? A lot of people say, that's pretty strange, African Americans. True, that's true, very true. However, there's something else about it. And that is, they did not train just African Americans. They trained anybody who was not white. The 97 years young Colonel Friend also reached out to future U.S. Army soldiers by swearing in recruits at Paris Airfield as part of his outreach as a community partner. U.S. Army Recruiting Command's Community Partner Master Sergeant retired Carla Thornton reflects on the extraordinary contributions made by Colonel Friend. Hearing the Tuskegee Airmen story, it's just, it's humbling. And to see where we're at today, you know, me as a black woman veteran that I would not have been able to do the things that he did when he served. So it's because of him that I'm able to say to you that I retired from the military. The enduring legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen lives on. As this month, we honor our African American soldiers.