The Tuskegee Airmen

The new George Lucas action film "Red Tails" tells the story of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, a celebrated group of African-American fighter pilots in World War II.

The very existence of the squadron was a milestone. The U.S. Army was still segregated during the war, and it took the intercession of the Roosevelt administration to authorize the training of black pilots. As they were trained at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama, they became known as the Tuskegee Airmen.

Under the command of Benjamin O. Davis, an Army Air Force officer who eventually was promoted to general, the pilots battled racism and countless obstacles when their first squadron began flying combat missions in 1943.

Eventually the top brass realized the value of the pilots, and more squadrons of Tuskegee Airmen were trained and began flying missions over Europe. The pilots compiled an impressive service record, winning many medals and distinguishing themselves as bomber escorts, bravely engaging in dogfights with German fighter pilots.

Illustration: Wartime poster depicting a Tuskegee Airman/Getty Images