Black American Heroes on the silver screen

A movie about them had already been done. Their have been a lot of fictional movies done about black Americans in war. Most war movies are fictional based on actual events etc..

A more interesting movie would have been one based on The 761st “Black Panther” Tank Battalion. I read a bantam paperback on it when I was a kid. Probably not as glamorous as a movie based on 'pilots'. I guess it would be harder to do since the hardware is harder to find and CG more difficult.

A movie based on 'non popular' minorities would have been more exceptional in my opinion. Possibly one based 442nd Infantry Regiment.

Now a big budget movie on one of the ethnic barbarians fighting for Roman Empire would have been cool.

mEh hollywood. :moon:
The computer game is more accurate and entertaining. ???
 
Remake of the Tuskegee Airmen movie of a few years ago:

Airmen Movie Trailer (1995) - YouTube[/url]

The new movie looks good despite all of the CGI flying scenes.


That's all I hope it isn't. I don't want too too much computer generated planes.
Won't enjoy it if it's like Avatar.
 
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George Lucas, Michael Moore,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Is there a difference.

Don't know a whole lot about either man to do a compare/contrast between them, though I feel Moore is more overtly political and comes across as a major asshat.

It's one man's exagerated (in order to create excitement) views that is derived entirely to enrich someones bank account, his own.

Any prove or citation to support your assertion here? If not, this is simply an opinion.... :dunno:

Do you actually think George Lucas made this movie in order to educate you?

Educate us? ??? Where did that come from? :dunno:

It's just entertainment. I do think that Lucas spending over 23 years and $93M of his own money to take the movie to the big screen probably suggests that the film isn't intended to be a massive money-maker for him, however, I don't have actual insight to his motives. You incorrectly stated that this was a "Hollywood movie", and I just pointed out that it is not, as Hollywood didn't want any part of it... not in its development, not in its distribution. :dunno:

That's all I hope it isn't. I don't want too too much computer generated planes.
Won't enjoy it if it's like Avatar.

Don't think it'll be quick as bad as Avatar, but it does appear that most of the flight sequences are CGI....
 
I plan on seeing it when it opens this Friday also. I watched the Fishburne movie back in the day a number of times and it inspired me to find and read books on the Tuskeegee airmen just like the movie "Men of Honor" with Cuba Gooding JR. The movie about Chief Carl Breshirs(sp) and his diving accomplishements in the Navy despite the racist attitudes toward him.

Should be a very good movie if taken in perspective and if it causes someone to do more research on these fine American heroes.
 
I applaud their service and wish some more of them were still alive to speak to the black inner-city population about what they went thru and the postive way they made something of their lives, in spite of their disadvantage. A positive role model instead of the hip-hop, gangsta role models currently made popular.
Well said sir, well said.
 
And, while I still applaud the service of all who gave some or all in the defense of our nation, I wanted to share something I received today. I check Snopes with no hits:

------------------------------
The George Lucas film, "Red Tails", about the Tuskegee airmen, will be released in January. This might be a good time to revisit the
facts as stated a few years ago.


This letter was not written for publication, but to enlighten you and you and your staff about some of the errors and misleading information you continue to publish, Perhaps it should be published to set your readers straight. As a WWII Historian and former 8th AF fighter pilot flying 87 missions over Europe during WWII, I am dedicated to factual reporting about the air war in Europe and aviation in general, and I take issue with the media (and not with just AJC) continuing to publish untrue and/or misleading statements about the Tuskegee Airmen (T/A).

Although I have great respect for the pilots and achievements of this WWII Fighter Group, I do not appreciate the continuing repetition of myths and untruths about their military record, the latest example in the obit on Lt. Col Charles Dryden in today's paper, repeating the same errors which appeared in his obit story a few days ago.

For more than 60 years the myth that they "never lost a bomber they were escorting to an enemy fighter", was their primary claim to fame! Then, several months ago, their Historian, William E. Holten, announced that his research proved that this was not true, that they had, indeed, lost some 25 bombers to enemy fighters. This myth still gets published occasionally, but far less frequently since he made this disclosure, thank goodness. Lies told often enough tend to bemome truths in the minds of many. However, it now seems to have

been replaced by another false claim, i.e. that the Tuskegee Airmen flew more than 15,000 combat missions. ALSO NOT TRUE!

Their own official records indicate that the T/A only flew 311missions. Their so-called 15,000 "missions" were actually 15,000 "sorties.". Apparently, none of your reporters know the difference between a "mission" and a "sortie," so let me define these for you and them. Combat Mission is an assigned flight to accomplish a military objective. This can be flown by one pilot or a squadron or group of pilots flying together. It is recorded as one mission. Combat Sortie. When, for example, 48 or 64 pilots fly together on a combat mission it is recorded as 48 or 64 combat sorties.

The T/A did not fly 15,000+ combat missions - as stated in your articles about the demise of Col. Charles Dryden. They flew 15,000+ "sorties". To have flown that many "missions" during the time they were in combat in the MTO, they would have had to

fly about 25 missions a day everyday they were in combat. Do the math. That's one mission every hour, everyday they were in combat. Impossible! Weather alone would have prevented this, not to mention the problem of keeping all of their aircraft flyable everyday over that period of time. FACT: Their official records indicate they flew only 311 missions, a far cry from 15,000 claimed. Please advise your reporters of the difference between a mission and a sortie so that another T/A myth is not appearing in every mention this Fighter group.

The Dryden story also stated that the 99th Squadron of the T/A was "the most successful squadron in American history." NOT SO! It would be more correct to say they have been the most publicized squadron in American history, however, thanks to a fully-paid public relations staff in Washington, D.C., the only such office of any military unit other than the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines and Coast

Guard..

Although I do not have complete combat statistics on all the fighter groups flying out of Africa and Italy (the MTO), I do have the stats on all of the 16 fighter groups flying in the Eighth Air Force over western Europe. And, when these records are compared, the Tuskegee Airmen rank at the bottom of the list despite the fact that they had four squadrons to only three for the 8th AF groups. FYI, and one of the reasons the T/A exploit their 15,000+ sorties (which they call missions) is that on a normal mission they would put up 64 fighters compared to only 48 for the 8th AF groups. And, since they did mostly ground support missions rather than bomber escort missions, the average length of their missions was about half that of the time in the air flown by the 8thAF fighters. Re the above mentioned stats, I would be delighted to provide these for your information if requested.

Another gross error in your

first story on Colonel Dryden is that the implication that he was, individually, awarded the Congressional Gold Medal recently. ALSO NOT TRUE. Through the efforts of the New York Senator, this medal was awarded to the Tuskegee Airmen, authorizing all Tuskegee Airman to receive this award. It was not awarded for individual achievements, as implied, but for the role played by the T/A in breaking the color ban for pilots, a civil rights accomplishment, not for their military achievements. Had this award been given for their military achievements alone, it should also have been awarded to each and every other fighter group in WWII whose records exceeded those of the Tuskegee Airmen. In my opinion, this was a "political award" instead of a military award. No other bomber or fighter units have been awarded this Medal, only Unit Citations. These are facts. Check them out, and here's to more factual reporting and a better AJC.

Most

sincerely,

Robert H. Powell, Jr.
Author/Editor/Historian/Pilot 352nd Fighter Group
1545 Rainier Falls Dr
Atlanta, GA 30329
404-636-3747
 
I dont see them as Black American Hero's. I see them as American Hero's. looks like a good flic tho.
 
I saw it this past weekend with my 14yr old daughter and she had zero knowledge of the Tuskeegee airman. Why doesn't she know i asked her and she says that her school doesn't go deep into black history. They talk Martin Luther King and the civil right movement and they touch on slavery, thats about it. I was disappointed to hear that considering a whole month is dedicated to Black history. IMO I think ethnic history is important to know considering that this country is a melting pot of many backgrounds but that's just me I guess.

Red Tails was well worth the money spent. There's some computer generated air to air combat scences but what action movie doesn't nowadays. I'm not going to give up anything about the movie away but I will give my views after a few have seen it as to not ruin it for anyone. Due to modern cinema technology advancements of making movies its definitely better than the 1995 version. Over the weekend release of the movie it grossed over 18.8M coming in second to the Underworld series, i would say Lucas films will recoup his money & then some. It's a must see movie even if you're not into military history.
 
I'm not sure why (hollywood / liberals) wants to glorify TA when they really are American black soldiers that really persevered through much more without having to make stuff up.

And, while I still applaud the service of all who gave some or all in the defense of our nation, I wanted to share something I received today. I check Snopes with no hits:

------------------------------
The George Lucas film, "Red Tails", about the Tuskegee airmen, will be released in January. This might be a good time to revisit the
facts as stated a few years ago.


This letter was not written for publication, but to enlighten you and you and your staff about some of the errors and misleading information you continue to publish, Perhaps it should be published to set your readers straight. As a WWII Historian and former 8th AF fighter pilot flying 87 missions over Europe during WWII, I am dedicated to factual reporting about the air war in Europe and aviation in general, and I take issue with the media (and not with just AJC) continuing to publish untrue and/or misleading statements about the Tuskegee Airmen (T/A).

Although I have great respect for the pilots and achievements of this WWII Fighter Group, I do not appreciate the continuing repetition of myths and untruths about their military record, the latest example in the obit on Lt. Col Charles Dryden in today's paper, repeating the same errors which appeared in his obit story a few days ago.

For more than 60 years the myth that they "never lost a bomber they were escorting to an enemy fighter", was their primary claim to fame! Then, several months ago, their Historian, William E. Holten, announced that his research proved that this was not true, that they had, indeed, lost some 25 bombers to enemy fighters. This myth still gets published occasionally, but far less frequently since he made this disclosure, thank goodness. Lies told often enough tend to bemome truths in the minds of many. However, it now seems to have

been replaced by another false claim, i.e. that the Tuskegee Airmen flew more than 15,000 combat missions. ALSO NOT TRUE!

Their own official records indicate that the T/A only flew 311missions. Their so-called 15,000 "missions" were actually 15,000 "sorties.". Apparently, none of your reporters know the difference between a "mission" and a "sortie," so let me define these for you and them. Combat Mission is an assigned flight to accomplish a military objective. This can be flown by one pilot or a squadron or group of pilots flying together. It is recorded as one mission. Combat Sortie. When, for example, 48 or 64 pilots fly together on a combat mission it is recorded as 48 or 64 combat sorties.

The T/A did not fly 15,000+ combat missions - as stated in your articles about the demise of Col. Charles Dryden. They flew 15,000+ "sorties". To have flown that many "missions" during the time they were in combat in the MTO, they would have had to

fly about 25 missions a day everyday they were in combat. Do the math. That's one mission every hour, everyday they were in combat. Impossible! Weather alone would have prevented this, not to mention the problem of keeping all of their aircraft flyable everyday over that period of time. FACT: Their official records indicate they flew only 311 missions, a far cry from 15,000 claimed. Please advise your reporters of the difference between a mission and a sortie so that another T/A myth is not appearing in every mention this Fighter group.

The Dryden story also stated that the 99th Squadron of the T/A was "the most successful squadron in American history." NOT SO! It would be more correct to say they have been the most publicized squadron in American history, however, thanks to a fully-paid public relations staff in Washington, D.C., the only such office of any military unit other than the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines and Coast

Guard..

Although I do not have complete combat statistics on all the fighter groups flying out of Africa and Italy (the MTO), I do have the stats on all of the 16 fighter groups flying in the Eighth Air Force over western Europe. And, when these records are compared, the Tuskegee Airmen rank at the bottom of the list despite the fact that they had four squadrons to only three for the 8th AF groups. FYI, and one of the reasons the T/A exploit their 15,000+ sorties (which they call missions) is that on a normal mission they would put up 64 fighters compared to only 48 for the 8th AF groups. And, since they did mostly ground support missions rather than bomber escort missions, the average length of their missions was about half that of the time in the air flown by the 8thAF fighters. Re the above mentioned stats, I would be delighted to provide these for your information if requested.

Another gross error in your

first story on Colonel Dryden is that the implication that he was, individually, awarded the Congressional Gold Medal recently. ALSO NOT TRUE. Through the efforts of the New York Senator, this medal was awarded to the Tuskegee Airmen, authorizing all Tuskegee Airman to receive this award. It was not awarded for individual achievements, as implied, but for the role played by the T/A in breaking the color ban for pilots, a civil rights accomplishment, not for their military achievements. Had this award been given for their military achievements alone, it should also have been awarded to each and every other fighter group in WWII whose records exceeded those of the Tuskegee Airmen. In my opinion, this was a "political award" instead of a military award. No other bomber or fighter units have been awarded this Medal, only Unit Citations. These are facts. Check them out, and here's to more factual reporting and a better AJC.

Most

sincerely,

Robert H. Powell, Jr.
Author/Editor/Historian/Pilot 352nd Fighter Group
1545 Rainier Falls Dr
Atlanta, GA 30329
404-636-3747
 
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