July 2nd, 1943:
American B-25 bombers approach their target along the coast of Sicily,
preparing for the impending Allied invasion.
As they open their bomb bays,
two enemy Fw 190's
—elite German fighters—
move in to attack the American bombers:
easy targets, and in their sights.
Suddenly,
a US Army Air Force's P-40 speeds into position between the bombers and the German fighters.
Maneuvering inside of the enemy fighters,
the pilot unleashes a long burst of fire,
watching tracers smash into his target.
The German fighter lurches to the left,
then drops from the sky—
crashing into the ground below,
as his wingman flees for safety.
Neither the German fighters nor the American bombers realize
that history has just been made,
as the pilot of the P-40 was Lieutenant Charles B. Hall
of the 99th Pursuit Squadron—
today, better known as the Tuskegee Airmen,
and the first African American pilots in US military history.
This marked the first of more than 100 confirmed kills.
Their story had begun just two years earlier,
July 1941,
when 13 recruits reported for training in Tuskegee, Alabama.
As the gathering storm of the late 1930's erupted into all-out war in Europe,
Americans of all backgrounds braced for the moment the war would come to them—
with many eager to serve.
Yet prejudice still held sway in official policy,
and no black man had ever been allowed to serve as a pilot in the US military.
After much lobbying,
and the need for talented pilots in the event of war,
promising African American recruits were selected for the newly formed 99th, in what many called
the Tuskegee Experience.
Training would prove intense,
and follow the exact framework as that of the white recruits'.
The men welcomed the rigor.
They knew that, in order to be accepted,
they'd have to be every bit as good as the white pilots—
and then some.
In March 1942,
the first class of Tuskegee Airmen
completed training and earned their wings.
Among them was Captain Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.,
a graduate of West Point,
and son of the Army's first African American general officer.
Years later, Davis would join his father in making history,
becoming the first African American general in the Air Force.
Now,
Captain Davis was to take command of the Tuskegee Airmen as they prepared for deployment—
and for battle.
At this moment of opportunity,
it would be up to Davis and his growing band of airmen
to prove that they were worthy pilots—
and that talent would overcome prejudice.
The 99th was ordered to North Africa,
flying missions in the invasion of Sicily and Italy.
They joined three new squadrons,
forming the 332nd Fighter Group,
earning the nickname "Red Tails,"
for the bright red paint on the fins of their fighters.
The Red Tails were soon transferred to Italy,
flying missions over mainland Europe.
There they were joined by a young second lieutenant,
fresh out of flight school.
Charles McGee was born in Cleveland,
the son of a minister.
Joining the University of Illinois ROTC program in 1939,
he lept at the opportunity to train as a pilot.
By the time Lieutenant McGee began flying combat missions in February 1944,
the Tuskegee Airmen were earning a reputation as excellent combat pilots.
In fact,
they were in high demand among the white bomber crews
they escorted into battle,
aware of the Red Tails' record of protecting the B-16's
and B-24's.
On August 23rd,
as Lieutenant McGee piloted his P-51C, nicknamed "Kitten,"
on a bombing mission over Czechoslovakia,
a German Fw 190 streaked through the American bomber formation.
Over the radio,
McGee was given the order:
"Go get him."
On cue,
Lieutenant McGee broke from the formation and fell in behind the fighter.
The enemy pilot was skilled,
taking evasion action and diving for the ground before racing over a German airfield.
All the while,
McGee was locked on his target.
The enemy fighter in his sights,
McGee fired a burst,
raking the plane with bullets before it crashed into the ground.
His first confirmed victory.
He continued low to ground to avoid anti-aircraft fire,
then rejoined his comrades in the sky.
Charles McGee had flown a total of 136 combat missions
by the time he was transferred home to serve as an instructor
on November 23rd, 1944.
He would remain in the Air Force for 30 years,
flying combat missions in Korea and Vietnam,
and retiring a Colonel.
His three-war total of 409 combat missions is the Air Force record
that still survives today.
A legend among a legendary group of men,
Charles McGee would survive to be one of the last remaining great pilots
of the Tuskegee Airmen.
One of the last links to a band of trailblazers,
who, 75 years ago,
proved to their country—and to themselves—
that they had earned their place
in the pantheon of America's greatest heroes.