They had a beloved mascot, a black lab named "Nigger" (which was killed the night of one of the big raids, hit by a car. It was a crushing emotional blow to the men of the squadron.
What was odd was hearing the word used over and over again, shouted out with joy, abruptly issued as a command, descriptively used as parts of discussion, all with no racial overtone but used as the name of the dog.
When the movie was shown in the nineties, they edited the name of the dog out.
May Nigger enjoy each and every day with his companions at Rainbow Bridge...he was a good boy.
We knew the American RAF pilot, Joe McCarthy. He became a real estate agent in Virginia and managed properties for my mother in the late 70s and early 80s. Fascinating old guy.
I don’t think people should use racial, ethnic, or religious slurs. Thanks to my parents, I never do, and I’m surprised when others do. However, if “nigger” is so destructive that it can’t be said by any white person, even in a historical sense, “The pilots had a dog named Nigger,” then why is it in common use among some of the richest and most successful “entertainers” and political hacks in America?
My answer is that any stick to beat up non-”progressive” society will do, no matter how silly or inconsistent it is.
The mascot of the crews building Hoover Dam back in the Thirties was “Nig, the Dam Dog” - there’s a plaque at the site commemorating him.