Collection : Tuskegee Airmen awarded Purple Hearts

Flight Officer William P. Armstrong killed over Austria

Flight Officer William P. Armstrong and 2nd Lt. Walter P. Manning were killed during a battle over Austria.

Jan 20, 2012 | 9:45 pm | Loading…

Lt. Roger Brown commended for crash-landing plane

Lt. Roger D. Brown was commended for being the first Army Air Corps pilot to successfully crash-land a P-39 Airacobra at sea.

Jan 20, 2012 | 9:48 pm | Loading…

Lt. Gene C. Browne held as POW after crashing in Germany

One of the youngest pilots in the U.S. Army Air Corps, 1st Lt. Gene C. Browne was forced to crash-land in Germany and was a prisoner of war for more than a year.

Jan 20, 2012 | 9:49 pm | Loading…

Lt. James A. Calhoun killed in action

Lt. James A. Calhoun was killed during a strafing mission on a Yugoslavia air field.

Jan 20, 2012 | 9:59 pm | Loading…

Lt. John H. Chavis disappears during mission

Lt. John H. Chavis disappeared in the clouds soon after take-off for a bomber escort mission to Germany.

Jan 20, 2012 | 10:00 pm | Loading…

Capt. Alfonza W. Davis scores aerial kill

Capt. Alfonza W. Davis was not one to shy from a dangerous situation, a trait that helped him collect an aerial victory.

Jan 20, 2012 | 10:02 pm | Loading…

Capt. Lawrence E. Dickson crashes in Italy

After nearly a year of successful missions, engine trouble forced Capt. Lawrence E. Dickson to parachute from his plane over Italy.

Jan 20, 2012 | 10:06 pm | Loading…

Lt. Alwayne M. Dunlap: 'I shall have no fear'

Lt. Alwayne M. Dunlap was featured in a newspaper article that published days before he was killed.

Jan 20, 2012 | 10:07 pm | Loading…

Lt. Wilson Eagleson credited with 2 aerial kills

Lt. Wilson V. Eagleson II's military career spanned three decades and three wars.

Jan 20, 2012 | 10:11 pm | Loading…

Lt. Maurice V. Esters disappears in Adriatic Sea

Lt. Maurice V. Esters was forced to bail from his plane over the Adriatic Sea when his engine failed.

Jan 20, 2012 | 10:13 pm | Loading…

Flight Officer James H. Fischer shot down, makes it back to base in time for dinner

Flight Officer James H. Fischer shot down an enemy plane, then was forced to parachute from his plane when he ran out of fuel.

Jan 20, 2012 | 10:15 pm | Loading…

Lt. Samuel J. Foreman disappears over Yugoslavia

Engine trouble forced 2nd Lt. Samuel J. Foreman to try to return to base.

Jan 20, 2012 | 10:21 pm | Loading…

Lt. Frederick D. Funderburg Jr. scores 2 aerial kills

Lt. Frederick D. Funderburg Jr. claimed the first aerial victory for the 301st Fighter Squadron.

Jan 20, 2012 | 10:22 pm | Loading…

Lt. Clemenceau M. Givings 'was the life of the squadron'

The pilots of the 332nd Fighter Group arrived in Italy feeling they had a lot to prove, and somewhat unprepared for the realities of war.

Jan 20, 2012 | 10:24 pm | Loading…

Lt. Joseph E. Gordon killed over France

Very little has been recorded about 2nd Lt. Joseph E. Gordon's military career.

Jan 20, 2012 | 10:29 pm | Loading…

Lt. William Green Jr. honored for helping Yugoslav resistance group

In the span of a week, 1st Lt. William W. "Chubby" Green Jr. collected his second aerial victory, was shot down, helped deliver supplies to a group of Yugoslav Partisans and returned to his base.

Jan 20, 2012 | 10:30 pm | Loading…

Lt. William E. Griffin shot down over Italy, captured

Lt. William E. Griffin was shot down over Germany and spent more than a year at a prisoner of war camp.

Jan 20, 2012 | 10:38 pm | Loading…

Lt. John L. Hamilton forced to crash-land plane

Very little has been documented about Lt. John L. Hamilton's military career.

Jan 20, 2012 | 10:40 pm | Loading…

Lt. Maceo A. Harris Jr. guides lost bomber to safe landing

Lt. Maceo A. Harris Jr. was hunting for enemy planes, and ended up saving a lost Allied bomber.

Jan 20, 2012 | 10:42 pm | Loading…

Capt. Freddie E. Hutchins survives crash, fleas

Capt. Freddie E. Hutchins assigned the same nickname to each of his planes: "Little Freddie." By the end of World War II, Hutchins was flying his fourth "Little Freddie."

Jan 20, 2012 | 10:43 pm | Loading…

Lt. Oscar D. Hutton Jr. last seen over Germany

Like many of the Tuskegee Airmen, 2nd Lt. Oscar D. Hutton Jr. was highly educated, earning his master's degree at the University of Chicago.

Jan 20, 2012 | 10:45 pm | Loading…

Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson receives medal 57 years later

Lt. Col. Alexander "Jeff" Jefferson recieved his Purple Heart 57 years after he was wounded.

Jan 20, 2012 | 10:46 pm | Loading…

Lt. Samuel Jefferson killed in crash near Corsica

Lt. Samuel Jefferson was killed when he tried to check on a downed pilot.

Jan 20, 2012 | 10:55 pm | Loading…

Lt. Charles B. Johnson killed in crash near Corsica

Lt. Charles B. Johnson was killed during a low-flying mission over the Mediterranean Sea.

Jan 20, 2012 | 10:56 pm | Loading…

Lt. Langdon E. Johnson scores aerial victory

Lt. Langdon E. Johnson collected an aerial victory six months after arriving in Europe.

Jan 20, 2012 | 10:58 pm | Loading…

Pfc. James Jones injured in line of duty

Very little has been documented about Pfc. James W. Jones' military career.

Jan 20, 2012 | 10:59 pm | Loading…

Staff Sgt. Alvin H. Kent injured in attack on base

Staff Sgt. Alvin H. Kent was the first non-commissioned officer of the 332nd Fighter Group to be awarded a Purple Heart.

Jan 20, 2012 | 10:59 pm | Loading…

Capt. Erwin B. Lawrence Jr. leads 99th Fighter Squadron

One of the first Tuskegee graduates, Capt. Erwin B. Lawrence Jr. eventually led the 99th Fighter Squadron for six months.

Jan 20, 2012 | 11:00 pm | Loading…

Lt. Samuel G. Leftenant killed over Austria

Lt. Samuel G. Leftenant was killed after colliding with another plane over Austria.

Jan 21, 2012 | 11:40 am | Loading…

Capt. Richard D. Macon survives POW camp, broken neck

After his plane was hit by flak and crashed, Capt. Richard D. Macon spent most of military career as a prisoner of war.

Jan 21, 2012 | 11:43 am | Loading…

Lt. Thomas Malone hits land mine

Little is known about 1st Lt. Thomas Malone's military career.

Jan 21, 2012 | 11:50 am | Loading…

Lt. Walter P. Manning scores aerial victory

Lt. Walter P. Manning and Flight Officer William P. Armstrong were killed during a dogfight over Austria in 1945.

Jan 21, 2012 | 11:55 am | Loading…

Capt. Andrew Maples Jr. bails from plane, disappears

Engine trouble forced Capt. Andrew Maples Jr. to bail from his plane over the Adriatic Sea. Although his friends were optimistic, Maples was not seen again.

Jan 21, 2012 | 12:08 pm | Loading…

Lt. Andrew D. Marshall evades German soldiers

After bailing from his plane, Lt. Andrew D. Marshall was missing for nearly two weeks before returning to his base in Italy.

Jan 21, 2012 | 12:10 pm | Loading…

Lt. Robert L. Martin shot down, returns 5 weeks later

Lt. Robert L. Martin likes to say he flew "63 and a half" missions during World War II.

Jan 21, 2012 | 12:17 pm | Loading…

Lt. George T. McCrumby: 'I had no alternative but to jump'

Lt. George T. McCrumby's dramatic tale of heroism and luck drew attention back in the United States.

Jan 21, 2012 | 12:22 pm | Loading…

Lt. James L. McCullin first Tuskegee Airman from St. Louis

Lt. James L. McCullin and Lt. Sherman H. White Jr. were the first black pilots killed in combat.

Jan 21, 2012 | 12:25 pm | Loading…

Lt. Col. Armour G. McDaniel leads 301st Fighter Squadron

Lt. Col. Armour G. McDaniel Sr. was a prisoner of war for a month after leading the 332nd Fighter Group on a mission that would earn it a Distinguished Unit Citation.

Jan 21, 2012 | 12:27 pm | Loading…

Lt. Roland W. Moody killed by drop tank

Little has been documented about 1st Lt. Roland W. Moody's military career other than his unusual death.

Jan 21, 2012 | 12:30 pm | Loading…

Crashes can't keep Capt. Christopher Newman from flying

Capt. Christopher W. Newman survived a fiery crash, a crash-landing over the Adriatic Sea, and he kept flying.

Jan 21, 2012 | 12:31 pm | Loading…

Lt. Starling B. Penn captured after plane crash

Lt. Starling B. Penn spent 10 months in a German prisoner of war camp after his plane was shot down.

Jan 21, 2012 | 12:34 pm | Loading…

Flight Officer Leland H. Pennington missing over Yugoslavia

Little has been documented about Flight Officer Leland H. Pennington's military career.

Jan 21, 2012 | 12:37 pm | Loading…

Lt. James R. Polkinghorne disappears in clouds

Lt. James R. Polkinghorne was last seen heading into thick clouds over Italy.

Jan 21, 2012 | 12:38 pm | Loading…

Lt. Ronald W. Reeves killed in crash in Germany

Five years after he disappeared, 2nd Lt. Ronald W. Reeves was awarded a Purple Heart.

Jan 21, 2012 | 12:40 pm | Loading…

Lt. Cornelius G. Rogers disappears on return to base

Lt. Cornelius G. Rogers disappeared over Italy after reporting engine trouble.

Jan 21, 2012 | 12:43 pm | Loading…

Lt. Alphonso Simmons evades capture after plane crash

Lt. Alphonso Simmons walked away from one plane crash, but was killed a few months later in a second crash.

Jan 21, 2012 | 12:46 pm | Loading…

Lt. John S. Sloan shot down over Italy

Several years after World War II, Lt. John S. Sloan wrote an autobiography about his experience as a pilot and his Purple Heart.

Jan 21, 2012 | 12:51 pm | Loading…

Capt. Luther H. Smith survives several months in POW camp

"I flew 133 missions. On the last one, I didn't make it back. It was Friday the 13th. It was my lucky day — I'm still alive," Capt. Luther H. Smith said in 2007 before the Tuskegee Airmen were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

Jan 21, 2012 | 1:08 pm | Loading…

Capt. Leon W. 'Woodie' Spears rescued 3 days after crash

Capt. Leon W. "Woodie" Spears grew up around planes. In a speech, he recalled hearing the drone of planes at the Pueblo Municipal Airport, next door to his family's Colorado home.

Jan 21, 2012 | 1:12 pm | Loading…

Lt. Roosevelt Stiger reports plane trouble, crashes

Lt. Roosevelt Stiger was killed after his plane plummeted into the Adriatic Sea.

Jan 21, 2012 | 1:15 pm | Loading…

Lt. Norvell Stoudmire killed in crash near Italy shore

Very little has been recorded about 2nd Lt. Norvell Stoudmire's military career.

Jan 21, 2012 | 1:18 pm | Loading…

Capt. Robert B. Tresville crashes after navigation error

Capt. Robert B. Tresville was appointed one of the first leaders of his squadron, and led several combat missions in Europe before his death.

Jan 21, 2012 | 1:22 pm | Loading…

Lt. Quitman Walker shot down over Hungary

Lt. Quitman C. Walker's service medals, including his Purple Heart, were issued nearly 60 years after they were awarded.

Jan 21, 2012 | 1:24 pm | Loading…

Capt. Hugh J. White served as state representative after the war

Capt. Hugh J. White was shot down by anti-aircraft artillery on April 23, 1945, in the last weeks of the war in Europe, while escorting B-24 Liberators over Italy.

Jan 23, 2012 | 11:19 am | Loading…