“The Red Tailed Angels” documentary series showcases the hardships, struggles and ultimately the successes of the Tuskegee Airmen.
In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of World War II, the US Air Force (USAF) video production team produced a video series to highlight the Tuskegee Airmen and their impact on the war, and society as a whole.
“The Red Tailed Angels” documentary series (of which you can watch the trailer in this post) showcases the hardships, struggles and ultimately the successes of the Tuskegee Airmen.
“The Tuskegee Airmen represent a part of American history, which for far too many years languished in obscurity after WWII,” said Anthony Young, Air Force Television senior producer, in the article Air Force releases “Red Tailed Angels” docuseries, written by Staff Sgt. Jeremy L. Mosier, Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs. “This documentary is an attempt to tell their story through the words of those who lived it, highlighting not only the obstacles they faced, but the perseverance they exhibited in overcoming it. Though they have been revered for their exploits during the war, I think their legacy is evident not only throughout the U.S. armed forces, but within society as a whole, given the many doors their success has led to the opening of.”
The Tuskegee Airmen were the first black military aviators in the US Army Air Corps, a precursor of the US Air Force. Pilots, navigators, maintainers, bombardiers, instructors and support staff all trained at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama. The Tuskegee Airmen flew more than 15,000 sorties during World War II in Europe and North Africa.
The Tuskegee Airmen painted their Curtiss P-40 Warhawks, Republic P-47 Thunderbolts and North American P-51 Mustangs with a red-tailed paint scheme.
Today flashes of red can regularly be seen streaking through the skies around lower Alabama as pilots from the Alabama Air National Guard fly their F-16 Fighting Falcons, honing their skills in routine training flights. The men and women of the 100th Fighter Squadron Red Tails at Dannelly Field know their legacy and the importance of that red paint on the tails of their jets. The 301st Fighter Squadron also directly descends from the Tuskegee Airmen. The unit currently flies the F-22 Raptor.
The first of the three-part series is available on the Air Force Blue Tube Channel here. The second and third segments will soon follow.
Photo credit: U.S. Air Force
