http://www.caffrenchwing.fr AIRSHOWCAF FRENCH WING - BULLETIN MENSUEL - MONTHLY NEWSLETTER http://www.lecharpeblanche.fr PUBLIC EDITION http://www.worldwarbirdnews.com Volume 20 - N°01 - January 2015 EDITORIAL The French Wing has begun another year, which we hope will be synonym of good times spent with friends, and progress in our projects, Bloker Sgt. Ben Tech. photo by U.S. Air Force whether great or small. While Photo waiting for the weather to improve and make it possible to meet at the hangar, we wish all of you the best for 2015 ! In this new issue of Aishow, Roger Robert continues his tour of Commemorative Air Force units and presents us the Red Tail Squadron. This unit not only flies a P-51C Mustang bearing the Tuskegee Airmen’s colours, but also works for educational purposes. You’ll read the last of our articles about Atlee “Pappy” Manthos, and discover his post-war pilot career, illustrated by the splendid pictures he took during his service. CAF RED TAIL SQUADRON I’ll end with a special “dedication” to Jean-Pierre Touzeau, gifted photographer and great French Spitfire enthusiast. When Jean-Pierre : Atlee «Pappy» Manthos «Pappy» : Atlee joined us last year, I promised him I’d make a few “French Photo Spit” profiles. This took me quite a while, but I hope Jean-Pierre’s will feel that his patience has been rewarded on page 11 ! Enjoy your reading, and see you soon! - Bertrand Brown «PAPPY» MANTHOS’ PHOTO ALBUM (PT. 2) Airshow - Public Edition Airshow is the monthly newsletter of the CAF French Wing. This "public" edition is meant for people who are not members of the association. Content which is for members only may have been removed from this edi- tion. To subscribe to the public edition of Airshow, go to our website and fill in the subscription form: Subscribe to the public edition of Airshow NB: Subscription to the public edition of Airshow is completely free and can be cancelled at any time. Your personal data is solely used for the purpose of managing your subscription and will remain strictly confidential. •••••••••••••News••••••••••••• Col. William “Bill” Godwin passes away Happy new year to all! Bill Godwin was born on 25 October 1925. During World War II, he hoped to become a naval fighter pilot and suc- cessfully passed initial test. However, the US Navy had more than enough pi- lots by the time he arrived and he ended Bertrand Brown up serving as an infantryman in the Pa- cific. After the war, he went to work for Photo his father, painting sign lettering, mu- rals, billboards and various paintings. He first came in contact with the CAF when he was hired to paint letters on an airplane in 1968. This rekindled his old love for aviation and he joined the CAF a short time later, quickly becoming a very active member during these found- ing years. He was instrumental in setting up the CAF’s organisation and structure and was one of the first leaders of the Headquarters Wing.He is also responsi- ble for creating the PX, and was behind the restoration and exposition of nose art panels at the Airpower Museum. He was inducted into the CAF Hall of Fame in 2012 and passed away on 21 December 2014. Source: CAF website This content is for members only. Above: Tennessee Ernie Ford, Bill God- win, and Jack Webster during an Airsho in Harlingen, Texas. 3 CAF FreNCh wiNg PArtNers 4 CAF Red Tail Squadron RadioFan (CC BY-SA 3.0) RadioFan (CC BY-SA Photo Article: Col. Roger he CAF Red Tail Squadron The Rise Above Travelling Exhibit Robert T was created in the 90s by a group of volunteers of the Com- The CAF Red Tail Squadron ‘RISE Above: the North Ame- memorative Air Force’s Minne- ABOVE’ educational program is a rican P-51C Mustang sota Wing. As they were about to travelling exhibit based on six prin- «Tuskegee Airmen» of begin the restoration of a P-51C ciples that illustrate the Tuskegee the Red Tail Squadron. Mustang, pilot and entrepreneur airmen’s will and determination to Don Hinz came up with an idea: be accepted as true fighter pilots Following page: Tus- rather than simply restore the and American citizens. kegee Airmen and the aircraft and fly it at airshows, «Rise Above» travelling why not use it as an educational The exhibit was funded by the Tex- exhibit. tool as well? as Flying Legends Museum based in Houston, Texas. Just as the CAF t could be used to tell the sto- Red Tail Squadron, this museum I ry of the first uses aviation his- black American “To Inspire the tory as an educa- fighter pilots, tional tool. the Tuskegee Young and Honor Airmen, who “Rise Above” is were rarely the Heroes” a Hemlock Films mentioned in movie by direc- school, and had flown this air- tor Adam White. It can be seen craft type during the Second every 30 minutes during airshows. World War. It shows who the Tuskegee Air- men were, and how they were able Why honour the Tuskegee Air- to overcome the obstacles as they men? Their remarkable journey fought to train to become the first was fraught with difficulties black fighter pilots in the US Army Discover but succeeded thanks to their Air Forces. Their courage and de- the RTS’s hope, hard work and discipline, termination in the 1940s is still in- website: shows what every individual can spiring to Americans today. achieve when he is ready to over- www.redtail.org come such obstacles. This is as P-51C Mustang s/n 42-103645 true today as it was 70 years ago. 5 The Six “RiSE Above” PRINCIPLES AIM HIGH: The young men who would via Roger Robert become the Tuskegee Airmen dreamed Photo of flying. No one else believed they could. But they made their dreams come true by working hard. By aiming high, we can achieve more. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF: The Tuskeg- In 1945, the Squadron’s future P- ee Airmen lived in a time when people 51C was declared war surplus and sold for $1 to Montana State Uni- were often judged by their skin color versity in Bozeman, where it was and not their abilities. However, by be- exposed. The Commemorative Air lieving in their own abilities and work- Force took possession of it in 1970, ing hard, the black Airmen became he- and assigned it to the Minnesota roes. Self-confidence is always a key Wing in the late 1980s. The wing had to find $ 500,000 to fund its to success. restoration. In 2001, the aircraft, now known as ““Tuskegee Airmen” USE YOUR BRAIN: Your brain is like a and painted in their colours (with muscle. Stop using it, and it gets weak. the distinctive red tail surfaces) The Tuskegee Airmen put their minds flew for the first time in 45 years. to work and became American legends. The Mustang flew at Airshows for By using our brains we can realize our three years, spreading the Tuskegee potential. Airmen’s story and legacy wherever it went. Tragically, it crashed in NEVER QUIT: Be persistent. Be pa- May 2004 near Red Wing, Minne- tient. Never ever quit. Make a little pro- sita, after an engine failure. Don Hinz, pilot and project founder gress every day. After years of nobody died of the wounds sustained in the believing in them, the Tuskegee Air- crash the following day. men earned a reputation for being the best. And it didn’t happen overnight. The CAF Minnesota Wing decid- ed that the CAF Red Tail Pro- BE READY TO GO: When the Airmen ject, as the Red Tail Squadron was then known, had proved its were called on to defend their country, worth as an educational tool and they had been training for many months had to be maintained. Five years and were ready to go. Every day is your were necessary to gather the $ chance to be a little smarter, a little 1,000,000 necessary to rebuild stronger. the Mustang. Numerous volun- teers gave time, energy and mon- ey to go to North Dakota and EXPECT TO WIN: If you don’t believe work with the experts of Tri- great things will happen, then they nev- State Aviation on rebuilding the er will. When the Airmen returned from aircraft. Their efforts were re- war to everyday life, they faced many warded when ‘Tuskegee Airmen” flew again in July 2009. challenges. However, they knew they could handle them. And they did. 6 via Roger Robert Photo Above: the pilot of The Tuskegee Airmen escorting heavy bombers. In July, the the P-51 «Tuskegee 99th FS became the group’s fourth Airmen» salutes the The Tuskegee program officially be- squadron. public after a flight gan in June 1941 with the 99th Pur- demonstration. suit Squadron based at the Tuskeg- The 332nd Fighter Group flew the ee Institute in Alabama. Flying on Bell P-39 Airacobra (March 1944), the P-40, this squadron (later re- and later the Republic P-47 Thun- named 99th Fighter Squadron) was derbolt (June-July 1944) and North the first“black flying squadron”. It American P-51 Mustang (from July deployed to North Africa in April 1944). 1943, and later to Sicily. The 332nd Below: George W. Fighter Group, initially composed of Bush awarding the 100th, 301st and 302nd Fighter The 477th Bombardment Tuskegee Airmen Squadrons was the first “black fly- Group trained on North American veterans the Congres- ing group”. It was sent to Italy in B-25 Mitchell bombers, but was nev- sional Gold Medal in early 1944 and in June 1944 began er sent to combat.