Tuskegee Airmen's real record?

[Negative Creep]

Isn't there a film about the Redtails out soon? I'm sure I read George Lucas was invo9lved

[ToughOmbre]

Isn't there a film about the Redtails out soon? I'm sure I read George Lucas was invo9lved

You're right, with George Lucas as Executive Producer. Was announced as a 2008 release depending upon it's production schedule. And hopefully it will be historically accurate.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Doubt it, Hollywood will turn it and change it like they did Pearl Harbor and everything else!

[GregP]

I echo above. The Red Tails were good pilots, but not the best in the world. They did a good, yeoman service, and that's all the country asked of them.
The country thanks them for that service, just as it thanks service pilots of all ethnic backgrounds.

I acknowledge that at the time, black pilots were a thing of curiosity for the mostly-all-white Army Air Corps, but when they went into battle, I doubt very much if the bombers being escorted had many racists in them when the Tuskegee Airmen shot away or chased away some attacking German.

Saved is saved, say "Thank you" and move on.

I think it strange that this "new" record has taken this long to surface. Don't you think some white guy in a bomber who saw a bomber shot down while being escorted by red tails would have spoken up by now? This smacks of "revisionism," and too many people are ready to believe it with no proof other than "someone somehwere said it ...."

Lest you ask, I am white and am not saying the new report was wrong ... I'd just like to know why it took 65+ years to surface, especially when so many potentially racist people ... read that white crewmen in bombers ... HAD to have seen otherwise, assuming the new report is true. Bombers shot down usually "go down in flames ..."

Also, the Tuskegee Airmen themselves had to know it if the new report is true. Were there no honest black pilots? I think that unlikely.

Meanwhile, the black pilots who flew in WWII deserve their due measure of respect and gratitide. Whether they lost a plane or not, they served, did their duty to the country the same as other airmen, and deserve the same accolades as their White, Oriental, American Indian, Hawaiian, or OTHER ethnic pilots got and get.

I'd like to know the real score, including why the "cover up" was successful for 65+ years. I have no desire for "revenge" in any way, I'm just curious ... been that way all my life.

As stated above, the truth should be published "As Is," not as "made up yarns." Really, no other "agenda." Could be true, could be false. Either way, it would be nice to know, just so we're correct in our assessment.

Tuskegee Airmen, thank you either way. Your service was and is appreciated, as was service from all participants in all theaters and branches of operation.

[JoeB]

If we're interested in air war history, of course we want the truth, or as close as we can get to it. I wouldn't say I ever took that claim literally, zero bombers under escort lost, though I hadn't seen specific research into how many were actually lost.

Let's remember though that disprovable aerial claims of all kinds and all countries are still routinely quoted as if they are facts. The distinction in this case is that the claim could be disproved by research into records of other units on the same side. In most cases you need the records of the other side; and that tends to introduce at least aguable uncertainty: are the other side's records really as reliable as "ours" (whoever "us" happens to be)!? Still, many 90+% disprovable WWII claims, in particular shoot downs highly unlikely to have actually occurred, are still presented as facts, all the time.

Joe

[Heinz]

I swear theres already a movie called Tukegee Airmen on video, saw it a while ago now.

[lesofprimus]

The Tuskegee Airmen 1995...

The inspiring real-life story of the "Fighting 99th," the black pilots who overcame prejudice to fight for America in the Second World War, is told in this exciting drama that features thrilling aerial sequences and a stellar cast that includes Laurence Fishburne, Andre Braugher, Cuba Gooding, Jr. and John Lithgow. 106 min.

[Heinz]

Thats the one!

Wasn't too bad a movie I seem to recall. Been a while though.