New Report Debunks Myth About Tuskegee Airmen

Only days after being honored in the nation's Capitol for their excellent service, a popular culture myth about the the Tuskegee Airman has been debunked by reports from the airmen themselves in incident reports they filed after sorties and escort missions during WWII but only now made public by the Air Force. For years, a popular culture myth had claimed that the airmen had never lost any bombers under their escort, when in fact incident reports had claimed the loss of 25 bombers to ground fire or other hostile action over Germany.

Because of the extent of ground fire and other hostile action during WWII, it was impossible for any Army Air Force unit not to lose at lest some planes under escort. Heavy ground antaircraft guns and high speed German attack planes made it difficult and in fact impossible not to lose aircraft. The Tuskegee Airmen were an excellent unit, and any reports of the loss of a few planes to enemy action should not take away that they were one of the very best Army Air Force units of WWII with exceptional bravery and skills. These elite African-American pilots had to prove their ability by being one of the best units of WWII, which of course they were with very few losses of escorted bombers. And nothing will change this fact.