Graduating from West point in 1936, Benjamin
O. Davis, Jr. became one of
only two black line officers in the U.S. Army at the
time--the other was his father. Initially assigned to the infantry, in
July 1941 he joined 12 cadets in the first flying training program for
blacks at Tuskegee, Alabama. He received his wings in March 1942, after
becoming the first black officer to solo an Army Air Corps aircraft. These
Tuskegee graduates went on to form the core of the 99th Pursuit Squadron,
which entered World War II in June 1943 with Lieutenant Davis in command.
Their achievemnt include sinking a German destroyer in the Gulf of Venice,
with machine gun fire -- a rare feat. As fighter escort patrols the "Red
Tails"never lost a bomber to attacking enemy aircraft.
After four months of flying P-40's in the Mediterranean
Theater, he returned to the States, took command of the 332d Fighter Group,
and deployed with his unit to Italy in January 1944. |
