Finally, black men worked together with the white forces. Black pilots were not only integrated into white organizations but also were designated as instructors of cadets. 21 black pilots and hundreds of enlisted men would be sent into the Korean War. The continuous struggle the Tuskegee Airmen went through proved sucessfully. After World War II, the image of black soldiers changed in the government. The pilots and enlistees gained the respect and approval of high government officials(Francis 236, 249). Finally in 1948, President Harry Truman signed the Executive Order 9981, "desegregating the armed forces" (Carter 10). Many of these pilots set examples for future black pilots. Some would even become astronauts. The courage and lack of fear the Tuskegee Airmen displayed, enabled future African American generations to participate in the armed forces of the United States of America.