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Press Conference, 17 May 49 (Cont'd)

something was decided to be done about it. In April 1948, the Personnel Planning Division, Air Force, called upon an officer to make plans for a better utilization of Negro personnel. These plans were started in April 1948. Subsequent to that time, 26 July 1948, President Truman issued Executive Order 9981, which prescribed there should be equality of treatment and opportunity for all minority groups in the Armed Services.

Now, minority groups, they had all minority groups true enough, but it applied primarily to Negro personnel which formed the biggest minority in the Air Force. That Executive Order set up a committee, which is known as the Fay Committee, made up of several ranking American civilians that had their first meeting in the winter - December 1948, or January 1949. They are empowered, and still in session, to look into practices of the Armed Services to determine whether these policies and practices of the Armed Services comply with President Truman's Executive Order 9981. The Air Force, Army and Navy made presentations to the Fay Committee during January, February and March and finally, with these presentation the AF planned for and carried out the President's Executive Order, synonymous with the plan begun before the Executive Order was ever issued, and this was presented to Mr. Forrestal. After Secretary Johnson came in, he issued an order to the three Armed Services that all of their plans would be in his office by 1 May. He reviewed the three plans and last week he directed that the plan of the Air Force be implemented. It was approved by him and that is why all of our visitors are here today and I suppose that is why you are here today.

I am going to tell you now exactly what we are doing. I was absent at Las Vegas last week and Major Gleed was in command of the station during my absence. He received a call from Washington. He and Maj. Money took some rosters of personnel up to Washington. Maj. McDaniels was there, and you were there, Col. Noonan. They were all briefed on the action that is to take place here at Lockbourne until this plan is completely implemented.
It is felt it will be implemented generally by the end of December, this year. How rapidly it will go here depends on the arrival of another unit to insure the continuous operation of Lockbourne as an Air Force base. It is not desired that this base cease to operate at any time so, consequently, the out go of personnel from this station is dependent on the income of personnel to insure continuous operation of the station as an Air Force Base.

Now, yesterday, I met with all the military personnel on the station and discussed the same things I am talking with you about, in greater detail, but I didn't leave out anything I am telling you, nor am I telling you any less than I told them.