Once an obscure piece of World War II history, the Tuskegee Airmen are now among the most celebrated and documented aviators in military history. With this growth in popularity, however, have come a number of inaccurate stories and assumptions. Misconceptions about the Tuskegee Airmen refutes fifty-five of these myths, correcting the historical record while preserving the Airmen’s rightful reputation as excellent servicemen. The myths examined include: the Tuskegee Airmen never losing a bomber to an enemy aircraft; that Lee Archer was an ace; that Roscoe Brown was the first American pilot to shoot down a German jet; that Charles McGee has the highest total combat missions flown; and that Daniel “Chappie” James was the leader of the “Freeman Field Mutiny.” Historian Daniel Haulman, an expert on the Airmen with many published books on the subject, conclusively disproves these misconceptions through primary documents like monthly histories, daily narrative mission reports, honor-awarding orders, and reports on missing crews, thereby proving that the Airmen were praiseworthy, even without embellishments to their story.

The members of the 332d Fighter Group and the 99th, 100th, 301st, and 302d Fighter Squadrons during World War II are remembered in part because they were the only African American pilots who served in combat with the Army Air Forces during the war. They are more often called the Tuskegee Airmen since they trained at Tuskegee Army Air Field. In the more than sixty years since World War II, several stories have grown up about the Tuskegee Airmen, some of them true and some of them false. This book focuses on eleven myths about the Tuskegee Airmen, throughly researched and debunked by Air Force historian Daniel Haulman, with copious historical documentation and sources to prove Haulman's research.

During the first sixty years following World War II, a powerful myth grew up claiming that the Tuskegee Airmen, the only black American military pilots in the war, had been the only fighter escort group never to have lost a bomber to enemy aircraft fire. The myth was enshrined in articles, books, museum exhibits, television programs, and films. In actuality, the all-black 332d Fighter Group flew at least seven bomber escort missions, of the 179 it flew for the Fifteenth Air Force between early June 1944 and the end of April 1945, in which one or more of the bombers it escorted was shot down by enemy aircraft. In fact, 27 bombers the 332d Fighter Group was assigned to escort were shot down by enemy aircraft during the war, most during the summer of 1944. This article explores how the "never lost a bomber" myth originated and grew, and then refutes it conclusively with careful reference to primary source documents located at the Air Force Historical Research Agency. Among those documents are the daily mission reports of the Tuskegee Airmen's 332d Fighter Group (which indicates the bomb groups the Tuskegee Airmen escorted, and where and when), the daily mission reports of the bomb groups the Tuskegee Airmen escorted (which indicates if bombers were shot down by enemy aircraft at the times and places the 332d Fighter Group was escorting them), and the missing aircrew reports, which show which aircraft were lost, including the type of aircraft, the unit to which it belonged, when and where it went down, and whether it went down by enemy aircraft fire. By piecing together these documents, the author not only proves that sometimes bombers under the escort of the Tuskegee Airmen were shot down by enemy aircraft, but when and where those losses occurred, and to which groups they belonged.

Once an obscure piece of World War II history, the Tuskegee Airmen are now among the most celebrated and documented aviators in military history. With this growth in popularity, however, have come a number of inaccurate stories and assumptions. Misconceptions about the Tuskegee Airmen refutes fifty-five of these myths, correcting the historical record while preserving the Airmen’s rightful reputation as excellent servicemen. The myths examined include: the Tuskegee Airmen never losing a bomber to an enemy aircraft; that Lee Archer was an ace; that Roscoe Brown was the first American pilot to shoot down a German jet; that Charles McGee has the highest total combat missions flown; and that Daniel “Chappie” James was the leader of the “Freeman Field Mutiny.” Historian Daniel Haulman, an expert on the Airmen with many published books on the subject, conclusively disproves these misconceptions through primary documents like monthly histories, daily narrative mission reports, honor-awarding orders, and reports on missing crews, thereby proving that the Airmen were praiseworthy, even without embellishments to their story.

Almost everyone you meet has heard about the Tuskegee Airmen, but surprisingly few can answer with accuracy questions relating to their most important leaders, aircraft, missions, stations, phases of flight training, and unique accomplishments. Some of the Tuskegee Airmen stories in circulation are downright false. This book, designed primarily for students and teachers but also useful for general readers, answers 76 of the most common questions that people ask about the Tuskegee Airmen, enabling readers to separate the facts from the fictions. This short and accurate summary of Tuskegee Airmen history honors the first African American pilots in U.S. military service -- pioneers in the continuing struggle for racial equality.

The Vivid Air recreates the story of the famed Lafayette Escadrille, the American volunteer unit which fought with the French during World War I. A unique and elite squadron since its inception, the unit was destined for world renown even before it flew its first mission. Their role as the "vanguard of American volunteers" and the remarkably high caliber of the Lafayette Escadrille pilots easily set them apart and ignited the admiration of the world. The idealized glamour of aviation in the Great War, a direct consequence of the grim, heroless contest on the ground, highlighted combat flying and gave pilots a special place in the public imagination. Yet when the war came to its tragic end, widespread appreciation for crusading idealism lay buried in the ruins, and with it the true story of the Lafayette Escadrille. Philip Flammer's clear, fully documented study is the first complete scholarly account of this singular volunteer fighting unit, based on extensive research in Europe and the United States.

The new George Lucas movie called Red Tails focuses attention on the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II and their combat operations overseas. Loaded with special effects and a great cast, the movie is thrilling and inspiring, but how accurate is it historically? Military historian Daniel Haulman takes an appreciative look at Red Tails, comparing it to the actual missions of the Tuskegee Airmen and offering places where interesteded viewers could study the events further.