First cadets, Tuskegee

Maj. James Ellison, base commander, returns the salute of Mac Ross as he reviews the first class of Tuskegee cadets on the flight line in 1941. Ellison, unsupportive of the Tuskegee program, was replaced by Lt. Col. Noel F. Parrish. As base commander from 1942 to 1946, Parrish worked hard to alleviate the harsh impact of segregation practices within the Army Air Forces.