Posted on 10/22/2005 10:47:27 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
TUSKEGEE, Ala. - Lt. Col. Herbert Carter is 86 years old and ready for deployment. More than 60 years after his World War II tour with the pioneering black pilots known as the Tuskegee Airmen, Carter's new mission will be shorter, though no less courageous.
Carter is one of seven aging Tuskegee Airmen traveling this weekend to Balad, Iraq — a city ravaged by roadside bombs and insurgent activity — to inspire a younger generation of airmen who carry on the traditions of the storied 332nd Fighter Group.
"I don't think it hurts to have someone who can empathize with them and offer them encouragement," he said.
The three-day visit was put together by officials with the U.S. Central Command Air Forces to link the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen with a new generation.
"This group represents the linkage between the 'greatest generation' of airmen and the 'latest generation' of airmen," said Lt. Gen. Walter Buchanan III, commander of the Air Forces command, in an e-mail to The Associated Press.
The retired Airmen who will make the trip — five pilots, a mechanic and a supply officer — shrugged off the dangers of Iraq, saying they have stared down the enemy before. Some fought in Korea and Vietnam as well as World War II.
Current members of the 332nd, redesignated as the 332nd Air Expeditionary Group in 1998, include men and women of different backgrounds and races.
But the black retirees said they are thrilled that a group still fights within their 332nd lineage, regardless of skin color.
"I'm proud they're in a unit carrying our name," said Charles McGee, 82, a retired colonel whose 409 combat missions is an Air Force record. "That's very meaningful from the heritage point of view."
The original Tuskegee Airmen were recruited in an Army Air Corps program created to train blacks to fly and maintain combat aircraft during World War II — though some of the retired Airmen say it was really designed to try to prove that blacks were incapable of flying and fighting.
Even after the first group completed pilot training in March 1942, they were not allowed to fly for more than a year.
"My status as a Negro bordered on second-class citizenship and the military simply reflected the culture of the time," Carter recalled in a recent interview. "If you were a Negro, you were a Negro in either setting."
Eventually, the black airmen flew escort for bombers. They were credited with shooting down more than 100 enemy aircraft and never losing an American bomber under escort to enemy fighters. In all, 992 pilots were trained in Tuskegee from 1940 to 1946. About 450 deployed overseas and 150 lost their lives in training or combat.
The trip to Iraq brings new recognition to the trailblazing team celebrated in a 1995 HBO movie, "The Tuskegee Airmen."
Maj. Anthony Robinson of Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., who spearheaded the trip for the seven, said the group in Iraq is looking forward to hearing the Tuskegee Airmen's stories.
Only about 100 Tuskegee Airmen are still living. Several surviving members said they would make the trip to Iraq if health issues did not stand in their way.
They said they would continue to speak to current units, schools and public officials to ensure their legacy stays alive years after they are gone.
"I think everything should be done to pass their story to future generation of Americans," said Ted Johnson, 80, who graduated from the Advanced Flight School in 1945 and is considered one of the youngest Tuskegee Airmen.
"It was the Tuskegee Airmen who made America come to its senses," he said, "that individuals should be judged on their accomplishments, rather than their ethnicity and color."
Tuskegee Airmen Lt. Col. Herbert Carter , left, Lee Archer, middle, and Charles McGee pose for a portrait at Maxwell Air Force Base, Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2005, in Montgomery, Ala. The three are among a group of the 332nd Fighter Group who will be visiting Iraq next week to visit with current members of the unit. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)
Good on the old dudes, American heroes then and now.
Neat.
now THIS is cool!!
What heroes!
Great story.
When I used to have the Discovery Wings channel (now the Military Channel), they had a series on great fighting aviation units in all wars. The one on the Tuskeegee Airmen was particularly good. As these old heroes recounted the prejudice they faced, they did not dwell on it, and you could tell they were still proud to have served their country. Great guys, who keep on keeping on.
God bless these true Americans!
"They were credited with shooting down more than 100 enemy aircraft and never losing an American bomber under escort to enemy fighters."
THAT is one hell of a record.
S A L U T E!
With modern aircraft, I hope.
Seriously, this is very cool.
They are great guy's...I had a chance to meet them and talk to them at an airshow at Dobbin's AFB.....
If I served half as honorably as these men...
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Also, please see The Backside of American History
You'll love this 187 page .pdf (1.99 MB)
What excellent men, and thanks for posting this!
Even better, they persevered and triumphed over stupidity.
Well Done Tuskegee Airmen and Thank You!
Wow. Great American hero's indeed! Thank you for your service to this country.
Same here. You think this thread will get 200+ responses as other threads about black folks do?
Are you serious? This thread will max out and die at 20-25 posts, if that.
If you want a Google GMail account, FReepmail me.
Also, please see The Backside of American History
You'll love this 187 page .pdf (1.99 MB)
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