World War II Chronicles A Quarterly Newsletter of the World War II Veterans Committee ISSUE XXI, Summer, 2003 A Tradition of Sacrifice African-American Service in World War II By Tim G.W. Holbert Those who profess to favor freedom and yet to be the best. Anything less would be used as depreciate agitation, are people who want crops further proof by those who believed that black without ploughing the ground; they want rain men could not and should not be pilots, and without thunder and lightning; they want the further condemn them to serve only as cooks and ocean without the roar members of the ship or of its many waters. The camp’s band. The drive struggle may be a moral to be known not as a one, or it may be a novelty but as feared physical one, or it may pilots caused these men be both. But it must be to work harder and a struggle. Power longer than anyone concedes nothing could ever imagine. In without a demand; it the end they would never has and it never enjoy success beyond will. what anyone could ever imagine…except Frederick Douglass— themselves. 1857 The story of Spanky Roberts, one of the Red In his book, Red Tails, The 99th Fighter Squadron near Naples, Italy, 1944 Tails whose story was Black Wings, author John recounted by John Holway tells the story of Holway, demonstrates the famed “Red Tails;” the Tuskegee Airmen. The the double-conflict that so many black soldiers 99th Fighter Squadron and the 332nd Fighter Group and airmen had to face. Though the impeccable flew 1578 missions and over 15,000 sorties. 450 record of the Red Tails merited recognition, the pilots flew into combat. Sixty-six of them never 332nd was consistently under-decorated. How- returned. Every single pilot was an African- ever, during the war they did earn ninety-five American. Distinguished Flying Crosses, as well as a Presi- dential Unit Citation. Roberts would later recall, What is most impressive about the 332nd and 99th is their record in battle. In all of those missions I remember the day in Italy when I stood in parade flown by all of those pilots, zero friendly bombers formation alone in front of my squadron to get the were lost to enemy fighters. It is a record that few Presidential Unit Citation surrounded by newspaper- can match, though none should be surprised by it. men and photographers. The general leaned forward to pin the medal on and in a low voice called me every The men trained at Tuskegee knew that they had 1 continued on page 9 On the radio with... The Greatest Generation Welcome to The Greatest Generation, bringing you the “Heroes of the Air” and “Hit Parade” are two legends and legacy of World War II… other featured segments of The Greatest Generation. Hosted by Gene Pell, “Heroes of the Air” tells the Airing across the country on the Radio America stories of those who flew for America and earned network, The Greatest Generation, hosted by General the nation’s supreme military award, the Medal of Milnor Roberts and his wife, Priscilla, is quickly Honor. The “Hit Parade” segment allows listeners becoming a hit with both veterans and history to submit their memories of and requests for their buffs alike. Featuring archival favorite songs from the World recordings, historical documen- War II era. taries, and live interviews with the men and women of the Segments of the radio documen- Second World War, The Greatest tary, “World War II Chronicles,” Generation is America’s only radio are reproduced and are a staple program devoted to the sounds feature of The Greatest Generation. and events of an era that shaped Hosted by the late great, “Voice a people and defined a nation. of World War II” Edward J. The program is sponsored by the Herlihy, “World War II World War II Veterans Com- Chronicles” was originally mittee. produced to mark the 50th Anniversary of World War II Your hosts of The Greatest Generation, Entirely devoted to World War General Milnor Roberts and his wife, from 1991-1995. A nation- II, The Greatest Generation is Priscilla in the studio before going on air wide hit that aired on over 500 comprised of contemporary stations nationwide, The live interviews and documentaries, as well as those Greatest Generation is proud to air segments of this recorded at the time of the Second World War. A award-winning documentary series. particularly popular segment features Vox Pop, which was the title of a radio quiz show that The highlight of The Greatest Generation, however, originally aired from 1932 until 1948. Vox Pop, is the live interviews of World War II heroes in- which means “voice of the people,” hosted by studio by General and Mrs. Roberts. General Parks Johnson, Wally Butterworth, and Warren Roberts, himself a veteran of the D-Day landing Hull, contributed to the war effort in World War II at Normandy, has served in numerous positions by traveling to over 200 military bases, hospitals, during his long and illustrious career, including a and defense plants across the country. Vox Pop seven-year term as head of the Reserve Officers included interviews with servicemen of all ranks Association. He currently serves as the chairman from all branches of the service. This unique of High Frontier, the leading organization promot- series is being brought to the public through the ing a missile defense system. preservation efforts of the World War II Veterans Committee in association with the Library of Priscilla Roberts has extensive experience as a American Broadcasting at the University of legislative aide on Capitol Hill and was personally Maryland. responsible for legislation enabling one of the few 2 remaining LST’s from World War II to be repaired and retuned from Europe to America. This victory at Midway paved the way for the first Recently, General and Mrs. Roberts welcomed into offensive by the United States, which was at the studio Rear Admiral Edward L. “Whitey” Guadalcanal. Dr. D’Angelo argued that there never Feightner, one of America’s flying aces of World would have been a Guadalcanal had the United War II who scored nine kills over the skies of the States lost the battle of Midway. Pacific, along with Dr. James D’Angelo, President of the International Midway Memorial Founda- Admiral Feightner agreed that Midway was, in fact, tion. Admiral Feightner and Dr. the turning point in World War II, and D’Angelo spoke of the importance pointed out that many historians are of Midway as not only the turning beginning to think the same way. point of the War in the Pacific, but “The historians base this after uncov- also as one of the most decisive ering some statements from Churchill, naval battles in the history of who was in a real quandary at that warfare. point,” he stated. “He had decided that if we did not win the battle of “For the first five months after Pearl Midway, he would have to pull ships Harbor was attacked in 1941,” Dr. out of the Atlantic in order to protect D’Angelo explained, “the Japa- British interests in the Pacific.” nese had advanced as far east as Admiral Feightner explained that the Gilbert and Marshall Islands, At Midway, the tide would turn recently, a few noted historians as far north as Manchuria, as far have argued that D-Day would west as Burma, and as far south as have never occurred had the United New Guinea. They had been unstoppable.” Dr. States lost at Midway. D’Angelo pointed out that in the early part of May, 1942, the battle of the Coral Sea was the “Had the United States lost all three carriers at first time that the Japanese were turned away from Midway,” Dr. D’Angelo added, “the United States their objective, though their basic carrier force would have had to retreat all the way back to San remained intact. The Japanese plan was to destroy Diego.” At the time of the battle of Midway, the the U.S. Navy carrier fleet. “They made that battle for the Atlantic was raging, with German decision because they realized that if the carrier submarine warfare at its height. If the United fleet could be destroyed, that basically the U.S. States did not take its few remaining carriers from Navy would have to pull out of Pearl Harbor and the Atlantic and order them to the Pacific, the retreat to San Diego, California, leaving the entire Pacific Ocean would have been empty of Imperial Japanese Navy to roam free to do what American carriers. “President Roosevelt would they wanted in the Pacific,” Dr. D’Angelo added. have had an important decision,” Dr. D’Angelo continued, “because we know one shell from a What made Midway so decisive, both Admiral Japanese submarine off the Northern coast of Feightner and Dr. D’Angelo explained, was the California caused great anxiety. If the Japanese had fact that the Japanese lost all four of their carriers just sent submarines...let alone any surface ships...it in the battle. “More importantly,” D’Angelo would have been a political decision and caused added, “is that the pride of the Japanese navy’s great anxiety in California. One other point is that pilots were also killed. Unlike Americans, where before the Japanese decided to take on the U.S. they got top pilots, they brought them back Fleet, there was serious thought of the Japanese stateside where they could teach the younger naval fleet, which at that time had been untouched, pilots, the Japanese had a different philosophy.