SIGNED TUSKEGEE AIRMEN RED TAILS 477TH BOMBER GROUP EDWARD TILLMAN 1943 WWII For Sale

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SIGNED TUSKEGEE AIRMEN RED TAILS 477TH BOMBER GROUP EDWARD TILLMAN 1943 WWII 3"X5" INDEX CARDEdward Tillman Tuskegee Airmen Red TailBombardier
Created in June 1941, six months before the Japanese Air Force attacked Pearl Harbor, the group of the nation’s first black pilots were sent to Italy and Sicily as a part of “Operation Torch” and later gained fame as bomber pilot escorts in Europe. The first unit consisted of approximately 47 officers and 417 enlisted men. Many of the pilots were stationed after training at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama, and most of the applicants had been trained for over two years at the historically black Tuskegee Institute as part of the Civilian Pilot Training Program.
They were awarded numerous honors, among them a distinguished unit citation for “outstanding performance and extraordinary heroism” in 1945.
Other awards included several Distinguished Flying Crosses, Legions of Merit, Silver Stars, Purple Hearts, the Croix de Guerre, and the Red Star of Yugoslavia.Upon hearing about the Tuskegee pilots, Tillmon took and passed tests for navigation, bombardier and pilot training. He was accepted to the aviation program but due to the era, he was convinced that he would not have a career as a pilot in the private sector after the war ended.
“I went to the company commander and told him that I did not wish to continue training as a pilot, and I’m sure that he thought I was crazy,” said the former lieutenant. “But I had made up my mind because I had three years of college and I had decided if I made it through the service, that I was going back to college to finish.
“Their service is an indication of their patriotism and the inspiration that they give is an indication that this country was founded on equality.”
As one of the last men to join the Tuskegee group, Tillmon found himself briefly in a Monroe, La. navigation unit that was not segregated because a maximum of 32 applicants were allowed.
“In 1945, the service began to discharge pilots who had been oversees. One day, three white bomber pilots came to speak to us and began talking about their experience during the bombing missions,” he said. “One of them said, ‘We did not worry very much because we were protected by the Red Tails.’
“We were so proud to hear that,” Tillmon said. “They did a magnificent job of protecting the pilots, and hearing that made our experience worth it.”
Tillmon saw “Red Tails” when it debuted earlier this year. “What I tell everyone is ‘it’s a movie,’” he responded. “The one that I think that everyone should see is ‘Double Victory.’”
“They had a historic role in World War II,” Wheatley said. “They were the ‘Jackie Robinsons’ of their era and they did a lot to integrate the armed forces.”