When teacher Robert Raffaele invited William Hicks, a World War II Tuskegee Airman, to discuss his military service before an American History class at Elizabeth Forward High School, he got more than he bargained for.

Besides talking about his fabled unit -- Tuskegee, the first all-black aviation unit -- Mr. Hicks, 88, encouraged students to "stay in school, stay away from bad company and stay away from drugs."

He also promoted goal-setting, noting the Tuskegee Airmen were so successful flying escort missions for bombers because "we had a specific purpose and stuck to it."

For Mr. Hicks, of Swissvale, who grew up on a farm in South Carolina, joining the Air Force at age 20 was a natural extension of his love of electronics.

It was also perfect timing.

The U.S. military's color barrier was slowly crumbling as Congress ordered the Army Air Corps to form an all-black fighting unit. At the time, there were no black pilots because of segregation, which was bolstered by a 1920s study that concluded black soldiers did not have the ability to fly or maintain airplanes.

The first black airmen trained at the historically black Tuskegee Institute in Alabama; hence, the name.

Mr. Hicks trained at airplane mechanics and aircraft electrical schools in Nebraska and Illinois before being sent to Italy as a member of the ground crew.

The Tuskegee Airman's main objective, said Mr. Hicks, was to fly escort missions for B-17 and B-24 bombers to target and back. Each bomber carried about 10 men and cost from $8 million to $10 million.

The unit compiled an impressive combat record long before it was known that Tuskegee was a black outfit, Mr. Hicks said.

"By then, we had developed a reputation, and were being asked to escort," he said.

A student in the audience asked how he overcame the discrimination of the era, and Mr. Hicks responded by saying enemy soldiers often asked why they were fighting for a nation which treated them badly.

"It was love of country, and we wanted to prove we could do the job," he said.

By war's end, the Tuskegee Airmen were awarded several Silver Stars, Distinguished Flying Crosses, Purple Hearts and more.

After 3 1/2 years, the Air Force staff sergeant returned to the United States to study television engineering at the American Television Institute in Chicago, eventually owning his own television and radio repair business.

He retired from Napa Auto Parts in Pittsburgh's East Liberty in 1987 as a plant engineer.

After the program, principal Dr. David Bowlin said, "It is important for students to get to know people of this generation and their sacrifices, especially someone who is part of history."

Jenelle Loughner, 16, of Forward, said Mr. Hicks helped her with her understanding of World War II combat.

Valen Meade, 16, of Elizabeth Township, who is African-American, said his advice about staying in school was helpful, while his overcoming racism was inspiring.

"You can be anything if you set your mind to it no matter what you look like," she said.

To contact the group, write Tuskegee Airmen Inc., Box 8166, Arlington, Va. 22219-1166.