Posted on 04/01/2007 11:40:19 AM PDT by EveningStar
At least 25 bombers being escorted by the Tuskegee Airmen over Europe during World War II were shot down by enemy aircraft, according to a new Air Force report.
The report contradicts the legend that the famed black aviators never lost a plane to fire from enemy aircraft...
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
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Probably there were many pilots that did not fly those missions where a bomber was lost and did not lose bombers on their own missions and the story started that way.
Ditto.
Absolutely.
Still a damn good record.
ping
They were fighting way more than just the Nazis. American heroes, each and every one.
This report reflects poorly on writers of the last 60 years rather than on the the airmen themselves.
Good Grief...
Let's continue to rewrite history.
I bet they were all gay too -
GAAH
Sigh
I always found this hard to believe. Although it was my understanding that by the time they entered the ETO, most of the Luftwaffe was already decimated and barely able to offer any resistance. The questions is, what took out those 20 bombers?
I agree. They were still heroes.
"But historian William Holton said the discovery of lost bombers doesn't tarnish the unit's record."
No, but it certainly tarnishes the members of this unit WHO KNEW THE TRUTH and allowed the false accolades to continue for all these years.
That is not so suprising. My father was a bomber crewmember both in the ETO and PTO. His opinion was that no matter how good the escort pilots were and the Tuskegee pilots were good there were always going to be losses. There would either be a lot more enemy fighters than the escorts could handle and some of those would hit a mark or the ground flak which was heavy on the way to and over high-value targets would take a few.
Even with the new information they were an outstanding unit with great pilots.
Not in the greater scheme of things. At the time, had any deaths been reported with these men held responsible, there was enough pressure at the time to end the Tuskegee program, and keep Blacks from becoming military pilots.
There was actually a time in History, when the media cooperated with the Military to achieve its goals.
The only problem I have with it, is that nobody in their right mind would believe such a record anyway, but it is still quoted as fact whenever the Airmen are mentioned. Time to put it to bed, but with understanding of why the myth was created. Black pilots might even have been lynched in the states for allowing a White airman to die in combat.
Doesn't make a bit of difference. I love to hear these guys talk. They are true heroes and gentlemen. They are classy as can be.
My father was an ex-Marine that worshiped at the shrine of Pappy Boyington and even he would admit that a lot of the claims regarding Ole Pap were dubious at best including his kills. There was considerable controversy regarding how many kills Pappy had with the Flying Tigers. First the official Tigers account and Pappy's account never added up, and second regarding if AVG kills should have been added to his Marine kills.
Regardless, Boyington was obviously one of the best Americans in the air during WWII.
Frankly I never believed that the Tuskegee airmen never lost a bomber they were escorting to enemy aircraft. The chances of that happening, considering the number of missions they participated in leaves anyone that has studied, or read up on WWII history skeptical. War stories have a way of getting embellished as time goes on ...
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