Apr 48, sub: Supervisory Visit 332d Ftr Gp,
Lockbourne AFB, AFSHRC.]

[Footnote 11-47: Ltrs, CG, TAC, to CG, Ninth AF, 9 Apr
48, and DCG, TAC, to CG, Ninth AF, 7 May 48, TAC
210.3; both in Hist of Ninth AF, AFSHRC.]

Subsequent discussions at Air Force headquarters gave the Air Force
Chief of Staff, General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, three choices: leave
Lockbourne manned exclusively by black officers; assign a white wing
commander with a racially mixed staff; or permit Colonel Davis to
remain in command with a racially mixed staff. Believing that General
Vandenberg would approve the last course, the Tactical Air Command
proceeded to search for appropriate white officers to fill the key
positions under Davis.[11-48]

[Footnote 11-48: Memo, A-1, Ninth AF, for C/S, Ninth
AF, 18 May 48, sub: Manning of 332d Fighter Wing,
Hist of Ninth AF; Record of the TAC Staff Conf, 18
May 48; both in AFSHRC.]

The deputy commander of the Ninth Air Force, Brig. Gen. Jarred V.
Crabb, predicted that placing whites in key positions in the 332d
would cause trouble, but leaving Davis in command of a mixed staff
"would be loaded with dynamite."[11-49] The commander of the Ninth (p. 284)
Air Force called the proposal to integrate the 332d's staff contrary
to Air Force policy, which prescribed segregated units of not less
than company strength. General Old was forthright:

[Integration] would be playing in the direction in which the
negro press would like to force us. They are definitely
attempting to force the Army and Air Force to solve the racial
problem. As you know, they have been strongly advocating mixed
companies of white and colored. For obvious reasons this is most
undesirable and to do so would definitely limit the geographical
locations in which such units could be employed. If the Air
Forces go ahead and set a precedent, most undesirable
repercussions may occur. Regardless of how the problem is solved,
we would certainly come under strong criticism of the negro
press. That must be expected.

In view of the combat efficiency demonstrated by colored
organizations during the last war, my first recommendation in the
interest of national defense and saving the taxpayer's money is
to let the organization di