Today in U.S. military history: the Tuskegee Airmen, and a Civil War naval commando raid

Unto the Breach ^ | Oct. 27, 2017 | Chris Carter

[fugazi]

1864: In a daring nighttime commando raid, Lt. William B. Cushing, piloting a torpedo-armed steam launch, slips past a Confederate schooner guarding the ironclad CSS Albemarle. Cushing detonates the spar torpedo, blowing a massive hole in the warship, which had been dominating the Roanoke River. Although several of his crew are drowned and captured, Cushing and another sailor escape, leaving behind a destroyed ironclad.

1942: After several days of intense fighting, a shattered Japanese military abandons their offensive on Guadalcanal's Henderson Field. The Japanese will evacuate the island in February, and the Americans will turn Guadalcanal into a major base during the Solomon Islands campaign.

1954: Following in his father's pioneering footsteps, Brig. Gen. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. becomes the first black general in the U.S. Air Force. Benjamin O. Davis, Sr., who served in the Spanish-American War, the Philippine-American War, and both World Wars, had been the first black man ever promoted to the rank of general in the United States Armed Forces. After becoming the first black pilot to ever solo in a U.S. Army Air Corps aircraft, the younger Davis commanded the 99th Pursuit Squadron - the famous "Tuskegee Airmen" - during World War II. He again saw combat when he deployed to Korea as Commander of the 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing in 1953.

1962: Maj. Rudolph Anderson (USAF) becomes the only

[fugazi]

The story of the Davis men is incredible. The younger Davis was the fourth-ever cadet at the U.S. Military Academy and had to go through horrible treatment before graduating. It's a horrible shame that these great Americans had to endure what they did, but the Jackie Robinsons of the U.S. military leave behind a legacy we, as Americans, can all be proud of.

[oldvirginian]

“The younger Davis was the fourth-ever cadet at the U.S. Military Academy and had to go through horrible treatment before graduating.”

I think you meant fourth-ever Negro/black cadet. :-P

Davis Jr did what all great leaders do ; use their experiences in later command.
He flat out told the men at Tuskegee they had to be better than any white pilot because their white trainers and officers would use any excuse to wash them out.
He was merciless in his pursuit of discipline. No infraction, no matter how small escaped him. He knew politicians in DC would be more than happy to pull the plug on the army’s “Negro Experiment”.

By wars end allied bomber crews called them the Red Tailed Angels.
The Luftwaffe called them the Black Bird Men.

IMVHO Ben Davis Jr MADE the Tuskegee Airmen.

[onedoug]

Great film: “The Tuskegee Airmen” is on youtube. Far better than “Redtails”, IMHO.

[oldvirginian]

Redtails was some of the worst “history” Hollyweird has put out.
A compelling story based on history and they turned it into a tofu burger: nothing there.

The next time I go to the library I will look up The Tuskegee Airmen.
My internet is super slow so I go to the library to use YouTube.
They are used to me and let me bring beverages and snacks!

Thanks for the heads up.

[craigski63]

I’m sure that’s not what they really called them LOL

[oldvirginian]

“I’m sure that’s not what they really called them LOL”

I’m sure they had some other, more colorful, names for them.

The ultimate sign of respect was when experienced German pilots told the new guys to fly in the opposite direction if they saw an allied plane with a red tail. They probably said “run like hell or the black b*st*rds will kill you.”