P51 C FIGHTER

A few weeks from now on December 7, will be the 69th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

That date marked the United States' entry into World War II.

Their were many heroes in that war, actually everyone who fought in that war was a hero. Included were the men and women that worked in the factories to build the airplanes, ships, and submarines. There were many that flew support by delivering supplies to both theaters, many of whom were women.

Today the heroes noted in this blog are the Tuskegee Airmen.

They were a group of African-American pilots that withstood the adversity of segregation and showed their valor and bravery to the world.

They were the 332nd Fighter Group. They flew P51 C fighters to escort bombers in the European theater. They had an exemplary record, with the least amount of bombers lost by an escort group.

They painted the tails of their planes bright red and became known as the "Red Tails" or "Red Tail Angels".

One of those pilots was LT. Col. Lee "Buddy" Archer. He was the only Tuskegee pilot to shoot down five enemy aircraft.

The plane in the picture is on display at Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida.

It was meticulously restored by Kermit Weeks and his team.

It was costly to restore in time and material and is worth quite a lot in today's dollars.

It is airworthy as are all of Mr. Weeks restorations. Kermit took LT. Archer up for a ride when it was finished and he signed his name in the cockpit.

Imagine how "Buddy" must have felt to be up in the sky in that plane once again.

Two American heroes. Kermit Weeks for using his funds to restore aircraft of history and displaying it so we all can appreciate it. LT. Archer is a military hero for risking his life, along with his fellow Tuskegee Airmen, in service to their country and our freedom.

God Bless both of these heroes. Two men that young people can look up to and follow in their footsteps.