Remembering the Red Tail Angels

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. (Ret.) Greg Henneman
  • Former 49th Fighter Wing Historian
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, NM --  Undoubtedly, World War II served as the most important struggle for the United States, and all the free nations of the world, in the 20th Century. People from all walks of life, races and social strata heard the call for service and stood in long lines to join the military. Despite living in a society of Jim Crow laws, which treated them as second-class citizens, over one million African-Americans volunteered to serve.

World War II wasn't the first time African-Americans served the country that denied them equality. More than 5,000 fought for the colonials during the Revolutionary War, with many northern states promising freedom in exchange for military service. About 200,000 fought in the Union Army during the Civil War.

They served in practically all capacities including infantry, cavalry and artillery, and about 38,000 gave their lives. Over 400,000 fought in World War I, including the Harlem Hellfighters regiment and the world's first black fighter pilot, Corp. Eugene Bullard.

Despite a history of more than 150 years of courageous combat service, World War II left African-Americans serving in segregated units and primarily resulted in assignments to support functions instead of being allowed to fight. However, one unit specifically fought to prove the equal capability of African-Americans in combat -- the Tuskegee Airmen.

Trained at Tuskegee Army Air Field, Ala., 992 men graduated from pilot training, after which they were assigned to the all African-American 332nd Fighter Group in North Africa and Italy.

Military and civilian leaders described the Tuskegee Airmen as an experiment. Many people believed that African-Americans would not even be able to fly a complex fighter aircraft, let alone withstand the rigors of combat. Not only did the Tuskegee Airmen prove they could hold their own, they were credited with over 15,000 combat sorties, destroying 111 German fighters in the air and another 150 on the ground. Pilots from the 332nd Fighter Group earned 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 744 Air Medals, eight Purple Hearts and 14 Bronze Stars.

More important to the war effort, the Tuskegee Airmen armed with P-51 Mustang fighters stationed in northern Italy never lost a single bomber they escorted. Proud of their service, Tuskegee Commander Col. Benjamin O. Davis had the vertical stabilizers of their P-51s painted red, bringing a dash of style and the signature nickname, the "Red Tails." However, after about 100 bomber escort missions with no losses, the American bomber crews referred to the Tuskegee Airmen pilots as the "Red Tail Angels."

Today, the Red Tails remain one of the Air Force's most important and historic units. In fact, on Feb. 2, 2004, the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing moved from Tallil Air Base in southern Iraq to Balad Air Base, near Baghdad, where the wing serves on the front line of Operation Iraqi Freedom.