Tuskegee Airmen Collection Available at the LibraryBy Reference Librarian Anne R.
One of the more interesting movies playing in theaters this winter is Red Tails, based on the true story of the Tuskegee Airmen. Executive Producer George Lucas has said in interviews that he financed the movie himself, because Hollywood wasn’t interested in backing an expensive movie with an all-black casts.
Although it has been getting mixed reviews, it was the second-highest grossing movie during its debut week. That’s good news since Red Tails brings an important story to light, one that too few people know about.
Tuskegee Airman at the Dedication of the Tuskegee Airmen Historic Museum The Tuskegee Airmen, formed in 1941, were the first African American pilots in the US military. They were the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps, compiling this illustrious combat record:
o 1,578 missions
o 261 aircraft destroyed
o 148 aircraft damaged
o 15,533 sorties
o 450 pilots sent overseas
o 95 Distinguished Flying Crosses awarded
o 66 KIA
The Capital Area District Library collection includes fascinating information on the Airmen. For example, the reference eBook called American Home Front in World War II says this about the squadron: “In the air force the all-black Ninety-Ninth Pursuit Squadron out of Tuskegee, Alabama, known as the Tuskegee Airmen, excelled in providing protection to bomber squadrons. Bomber squadrons were eager to have the Ninety-Ninth assigned to protect them.”
Books on the topic include Freedom Flyers: The Tuskegee Airmen of World War II by J. Todd Moye (2010), and Black Knights: The Story of the Tuskegee Airmen by Lynn M. Homan and Thomas Reilly (2001). A documentary brings the story to life in The Tuskegee Airmen (PBS, 2003). We also have an HBO action film called The Tuskegee Airmen (PG-13).
A website dedicated to “honoring the accomplishments and perpetuating the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen” can be found at tuskegeeairmen.org. Another great place to learn about them is the Tuskegee Airmen National Museum, located right here in Michigan (on West Jefferson Avenue in Detroit). If you’re traveling down south, consider visiting a site called the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, run by the National Park Service in Tuskegee, Alabama. Find information by visiting nps.gov and typing “Tuskegee” in the searchbox.
The Capital Area District Library Reference Department is located at 401 S. Capitol Avenue in Lansing, MI. Contact them at 517-367-6346 or by e-mail at reference@cadl.org.
This was printed in the February 12, 2012 – February 25, 2012 Edition
