The airmen's

visit was part of the school's Black History Month celebration. Although

the men came to the school to talk about their lives as Tuskegee Airmen,

they also seized the opportunity to share with students some important

life lessons they learned from their experiences.

"Before

becoming pilots, all airmen were cadets and there were three things that

they had to adhere to ­ they did not want to lie, cheat or steal,"

Johnson told students. "This has always stayed with me throughout

my life and whenever I talk to young people I stress these things."

Johnson also

warned students to stay away from drugs if they expect to have a successful

future.

"Drugs

destroys lives. Whenever we get to talk to young people we stress staying

in school and listening to your instructor. Remember that with an education

you can go anywhere you want to," Johnson added.

Many of the

Tuskegee Airmen had college educations and were recruited from black colleges

and universities throughout the United States. The airmen who graduated

from the U.S. Air Force Technical School received the highest marks of

any class that had gone through the program at the time. The high marks

were attributed to the fact that all of the men were college students,

according to Connally.

Although the

airmen stressed that school is the basic part of education, they also

told students that there are other ways of learning. Out of all of the

experiences that went along with being a Tuskegee Airman, all four said

having the opportunity to meet and work with people from different backgrounds

helped them in their professional lives after leaving the military.

"I think

one of the most important aspects of my education was the time I spent

in the Air Force because I associated with guys from different areas of

the United States. I learned how to deal and react to different types

of people and that ultimately helped me when I started in the insurance

business," said Connally, who worked for the Atlanta Life Insurance

Company and retired as an executive vice president.

The Tuskegee

Airmen existed from 1940-1945. While visiting Sandy Creek, the airmen

took time to tell students why they wanted to become involved in the U.S.

Air Force and why they are actively speaking out about their experiences

today.

"I want

to keep the idea alive and keep it going. I want you to know about what

others have had to sacrifice. I want you to know that you have a noble

opportunity to do something important with your life and you should take

advantage of it," said Mason.

In order to

prepare for the airmen's visit, students watched a film about the Tuskegee

Airmen and the 99 th Fighter Squadron. Students learned that,

out of the original 996 airmen, 450 served in combat overseas in the European

Theater of Operations, North Africa and the Mediterranean, 66 of the airmen

died in combat and 33 of them became prisoners of war.

The Tuskegee

Airmen were distinct in that they never lost a bomber during some 200

escort missions during World War II.