Red Belly Radio, used to be only for the Employees of Southwest Airlines. From time to time I pull from the archives and replay shows. This show was originally released in August of 2007. I wanted to replay this episode as part of Black History month but also because I just don’t think this group can get enough recognition. I am talking about the Tuskegee Airmen and those involved with the Tuskegee Aviation Experiment.
The Tuskegee Airmen is the popular name for a group of almost 1,000 African American pilots who flew during World War II as the 332nd Fighter Group of the US Army Air Corps. Prior to the Tuskegee Airmen, no U.S. military pilots had been of African descent. The Airmen didn’t just fly missions; they flew them VERY well, escorting bombing raids into Austria, Hungary, Poland, and Germany.
In all, 992 pilots were trained in Tuskegee from 1940 to 1946; about 445 deployed overseas; and 150 Airmen lost their lives in training or combat. After the war, all but one of them were forced to return to ground-based jobs due to racist hiring practices of the time.
On this episode of Red Belly Radio, I interview one of the original Tuskegee Airmen and historian, Leroy Gilleed, about how the Airmen came about and the war for these men was not only fought overseas, but right here at home. Also on this episode is Southwest Airlines Founder Herb Kelleher and Chicago Captain Lou Freeman, the first African-American Chief Pilot for a commercial airline.
Photos: Top, Lou Freeman, Southwest’s Chicago Chief Pilot and the first African-American Chief Pilot for a commercial airline, retired Lieutenant Colonel Robert Ashby, first Tuskegee Airmen commercial Pilot, and Herb Kelleher, unveiled a commemorative aircraft to honor the Tuskegee Airmen.
Bottom: Tuskegee Airmen, Herb Kelleher, and John McCaa, in front of the commemorative aircraft honoring the Tuskegee Airmen.