Retired Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson hands an autographed copy of his book to Lt. Col. Gerald Torrence at the 35th Annual Tuskegee Airmen National Convention.
Posted on 08/11/2006 6:16:48 PM PDT by SandRat
8/10/2006 - PHOENIX (AFPN) -- Signing copies of his book, retired Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson jovially spoke to all who approached his table. He took a few moments to share how his early years were shaped by his experience as a Tuskegee Airman, fighter pilot and prisoner of war.
Colonel Jefferson, who was one of 32 Tuskegee Airmen who were prisoners during World War II, offered insight into his career and life.
"I joined the Air Force because the draft was coming," he said. "I didn't want to serve in the quartermaster corps because that was the only unit offered to blacks at the time. I wanted to be an officer."
Colonel Jefferson already had a bachelor's degree in chemistry and biology, and had a master's degree in organic chemistry from Howard University.
In April 1943, Jefferson was called to active duty and began flight training at Tuskegee Army Airfield, Ala., a month later. After completing advanced training, he graduated with 21 other Airmen, was commissioned a second lieutenant and received his wings.
His grandfather, mother and sister were in attendance. Colonel Jefferson proudly showed a photo from that day and commented that his grandfather was more than 100 years old and lived until he was 110.
"It's in my genes," Colonel Jefferson said.
After making the long trip via troop ship and a long truck ride to Ramitelli Air Base, Italy, Colonel Jefferson began flying missions in the P-51 as part of the 332nd Fighter Group under Col. Benjamin O. Davis. Though he had only flown P-39s and P-41s previously, he flew his first mission after just three hours of transition training, according to his book.
After flying 18 missions, his final one ended while flying a low-level strafing mission in Toulon Harbor, France. After two P-51s successfully strafed their targets, Colonel Jefferson flew in to hit the air control tower. Before he could release the bombs his aircraft was rocked by an anti-aircraft shell that came through the floor.
After trying to pull his aircraft up, he found himself inverted. He ejected, landed and was immediately captured by the same German artillery crew that shot him down.
Not seeing him eject from the aircraft, Colonel Jefferson's fellow Tuskegee Airmen thought he died. His parents received a killed in action letter, and didn't find out he was alive until they received notification from the Red Cross a month later.
For the next nine months, he was a prisoner in Stalag Luft III in Sagan, Germany, located near Munich. That particular POW camp was made famous in the movie "Great Escape." The British and American Airmen who escaped through tunnels had fled the camp just six months before Colonel Jefferson's arrival.
He was one of 32 Tuskegee Airmen who were POWs; only five are still alive.
"I was treated as an officer and a gentleman. I didn't have any interaction with the Germans because that was the role of the highest ranking POW in the camp."
Colonel Jefferson said he was never beaten while a captive.
One of his most vivid memories while at Stalag Luft was when a B-17 crew came into the camp. When they found out that Colonel Jefferson was a Tuskegee Airman, one of the crew told him, "Had you Red Tails been with us, we wouldn't have been shot down."
The colonel was able to keep up with the progress of the war by listening to the BBC through a small contraband radio.
On April 29, 1945, Patton's Third Army liberated Stalag Luft.
Upon his return to the United States, he struggled to find work and often was told he was "overqualified." He then pursued his teaching certificate and spent the next 35 years as an elementary school teacher in Detroit. He retired in 1970 after serving 23 years in the Air Force Reserve.
After nearly 64 years and countless life experiences later, Colonel Jefferson says "the Air Force is the best thing that ever happened to me."
Surviving "RED-TAIL" tells about time as WWII POW.
I love these guys. There is something very special and noble about them, it comes through everytime I see or read an interview.
ping
I have a neighbor that was a B24 pilot who was escorted by the "Redtails". He confirm all the good things you heard about this men was true.
What an inspiring story! It sounds like Col. Jefferson was the right kind of officer, pilot, and teacher. Here is one great example of character above all else. The exact "right stuff". Thanks for posting this!
Make that "confirms" and "these" men. I have had a hard day.
I met Gen Ben Davis at Maxwell AFB. He was a super person who just exuded dignity.
I met him once, I was humbled.
My understanding is they were highly disciplined and generally not after individual glory.
German fighter pilots were under orders to avoid contact with Allied fighters and attack the bombers.
By sticking with the bombers, the Tuskeegee pilots presented the Luftwaffe pilots with a serious problem, as hazardous as attacking an unescorted bomber formation was, the hazards greatly increased when they had to first pass through a gauntlett of fighters. Because of their discipline, the Tuskeegee pilots were not easily lured away from their formation. They would do what was necessary to chase away an attacking fighter but not pursue for the kill as that took them farther and farther from their mission which was to protect the bombers.
Thanks for posting this!!
Ah, the know-nothing media. You don't "eject" from a P-51. You go out the same way you came in.
In the 'it's a small world' category my brother's father-in-law was liberated from Moosburg in the same action.
These brave men were top notch and highly skilled warriors. But, unfortunately, according to several interviews I've seen, they were under orders not to leave the bombers and pursue the enemy like the white pilots were allowed to. Not sure if this was another form of discrimination or not, pretty sad really.
I don't think he ever served in the Air Force, he was in the United States Army (Air Corp).
He ejected from a P-51 in 1945....?!
I hope he managed to gather up his I-pod nano and playstation before doing so...
Absent clear and convincing evidence one way or the other, there will always be differing opinions among reasonable people.
The destruction of the Axis industrial complex was of paramount importance. The only way to do that was by aerial bombing. As such, the bombers were the high value strategic assets that had to be protected at all costs.
A commander who allowed fighter pilots to abandon their escort duty in order to pursue a fleeing enemy or, engage an enemy reluctant to close, could be viewed as being in dereliction of duty because who is to say that Allied fighter pilot wasn't lured away from the bomber force in order to create a gap for an enemy pilot to exploit?
When I first read Chuck Yeagers book "The Right Stuff" as a young man, I was at first awestruck at his heroism. I now ask, at what cost in downed bombers did Chuck Yeagers personal glory cost?
By how many seconds was the war lengthened because while off in a dogfight, another German pilot was able to get through and shoot down a bomber before it could release its bombs? How many people died in those additional seconds? How much material damage was done in those few additional seconds of war?
Close bomber escort simply didn't work - it was essentially useless. The best way to protect the bombers was to have the escort freely ranging WELL ahead of the bombers to shoot down the enemy before they began their attack runs.
The bomber crews desperately wanted the escorts close for purely psychological reasons.
Interestingly, playing big scenarios (200+) people in on-line flight sims like Aces High, etc, this has been proven out time and time again - the simulation bomber pilots even want the close escort, but the best way to keep them safe is to have the escorts ranging out freely ahead of the bombers and out of sight of them.
He was fortunate he was only in a Luftwaffe POW camp. The Luftwaffe had weird (for Nazis) ideas of honor and their opponents and generally treated their prisoners well, while the other components of the military and government did not.
I think I understand your use of the term "close" to mean close enough to visually make a friend from foe identification. I don't think I have any disagreement with you on this.
The best way to protect the bombers was to have the escort freely ranging WELL ahead of the bombers to shoot down the enemy before they began their attack runs.
The reason for that was I believe to be due to the closing speeds. The German reciprocating engine fighters generally were armed with high cyclic rate machine guns that weren't designed to cause the structural damage necessary to bring a bomber down but rather to give a better probability of incapacitating the pilot/copilot in high closing speed frontal attack. Therefor, the German reciprocating engine fighters preferred a frontal attack. By engaging them once they attempted a run at the bombers but while still well out, the first Allied fighter could engage the German head-on. Any damage inflicted on the German was a plus as the objective was to distract the German while another Allied pilot manuevered into an intercept position. Distracted by the initial head on attack, the German pilot now had to contend with a secondary Allied fighter a little better positioned. By the time the second Allied pilot disengaged in order to avoid Bomber defensive fire, the German pilot if still pressing the attack, had very little time to pick out a target, aim and and fire.
I do not believe this to be inconsistent with simulated findings you reported.
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