Reginald Brewster obituary: Tuskegee Airman dies at 103 – Legacy.com

Rest in Peace my Airman warrior brother. You opened doors and broke barriers for many people and our nation...for that we are eternally grateful. Go rest high on that mountain...your work on earth is done.

High Flight
John Gillespie Magee, Jr
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, --and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of --Wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air...
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark or even eagle flew --
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

Maj Marty Hogan Lt Col Charlie Brown 1stSgt Glenn Brackin
Cpl Craig Morton SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth COL Mikel J. Burroughs
LTC Stephen C. CPL Dave Hoover PO3 Bob McCord
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Sgt Wayne Wood PVT James Strait
SFC Jack Champion MSgt David Hoffman MSgt Stephen Council
PO1 H Gene Lawrence 1SG Steven Imerman SGT Steve McFarland SSgt Terry P. Cynthia C.

TUSKEGEE AIRMEN

They were black aviators who were known as Red Tails due to red on the tails of their fighters. The Army Airforce erred in their doctrine strategic bombers could defend themselves. I believe we lost 3,000 B-17s in Europe. The bombers were escorted partially as the fighters had to return due to the lack of requisite range. The Germans knew our operating procedures and mercilessly attacked our unescorted strategic bombers.

The advent of the P-51 changed these dynamics. The British put in a Rolls Royce engines in the P-51 to give them better performance. I would consider the P-51 a Revolution in Military Affairs which by definition is an invention that would change the face of the war. For the first time the strategic bombers were escorted all the way to the target and back. The Tuskegee Airmen flew P-51s and the first order of business was escorting the bombers. They shot down the German fighters who attempted to attack our bombers. This made a huge contribution to the attrition of the Luftwaffe that they would never recover from. Our fighters also caused attrition to experienced German pilots. This accelerated in the destruction of the Luftwaffe as inexperienced German pilots were easier to shoot down.

With air superiority the P-51s conducted tactical ground attacks and destroyed many German planes on the ground. On bombing escort duties other fighter pilots would abandon the bombers when they dropped bombs. The Red Tails stayed with the bombers all the way through the mission.

They immensely facilitated in the US gaining air superiority which had second and third order effects. Our fighters attacked German formations and logistics. General Patton the genius, used fighters to cover his Army Group's flanks and used fighters ahead of him to engage and destroy German formations. They decisively engaged the fighters and gave Patton great intelligence so he could attack in the manner of his choosing. Sometimes he smashed the enemy, sometimes he surrounded them. These operations gave Patton the security and firepower to rush from France to the German border in a manner that history will deem quite rapid and aggressive. The combination of the operating picture and his tactical brilliance made the German generals absolutely fear him.

Even in my time the 8th Air Force Historian was still writing about the Red Tails contribution to the bombers success.