Thursday, February 18 at 6pm CST/7pm EST
February marks Black History Month, a tribute to African American men and women who have made significant contributions to America and the rest of the world in the fields of science, politics, law, sports, the arts, entertainment, and many other fields.While Black History Month is synonymous with prominent figures such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson, Maya Angelou and Muhammad Ali, there are countless other African Americans who've made a profound impact and continue to make to aviation, the military and aerospace exploration. Aviation is a leading global industry because there were people who never let oppression and discouragement get in the way of true innovation. Now that’s heroism. Aviation is built on wonder. If not for those who dared to dream beyond the norm, would humankind have ever taken flight? Perhaps not. The world as we know it would certainly be less interesting.
Brig Gen Charles E. McGee fought in World War II, as one of the celebrated Tuskegee Airmen of the 332nd. A career officer in the United States Air Force for 30 he holds a US Air Force record of 409 fighter combat missions flown in World War II, Korea and Vietnam; the highest three-war total of fighter combat missions of any pilot in the U.S. Air Force history. Like all Fighter Groups, the Tuskegee-trained pilots of the 332nd flew fighter aircraft with distinctive paint schemes to assist with identifying friend from foe. The identifying marking was bright red tails on their fighters. The mission of the CAF Red Tail Squadron is to educate audiences across the country about the history and legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen. Doug Rozendahl & Brad Lang talk about the Red Tail P-51.
