Red Tail Captured, Red Tail Free: Memoirs of a Tuskegee Airman and Pow, Revised Edition

Great detail of the life and times of a Tuskegee airman. A behind-the-scenes look at the challenges faced by this airman at home, while serving his country, and as a prisoner of war.

Col. Jefferson has written an excellent personal memoir that is a unique addition to the literature of those who fought and served America so well in World War II and after. I bought the book after hearing the author speak (to a standing ovation) and was pleased to get the additional well written and presented detail of his experiences. His numerous drawings of the places he served, especially the POW camp, helped transport the reader to a better understanding than from merely a written description.

Among the many groups to whom we owe more than we can ever repay there is the Tuskegee Airmen. Determined to become Army Air Crop pilots and to fight for America, these men enlisted in the army. In spite of the determination of some to make them fail, they didn't. In spite of a 'quota' as to how many would be allowed to graduate (not discovered until many years later) some 900 made it through the system. Most became fighter pilots, after all if they flew bombers they might have had white crewmen under them and in those days that just wouldn't do. Lt. Jefferson made it through. And eventually he flew with the famous 332nd, the Red Tails. Most of the missions of the 332nd were to escort bombers. NO Bombers were ever lost to Enemy Aircraft while being escorted by the 332nd. On his 19th mission Lt. Jefferson was shot down by anti-aircraft fire. He spent the next nine months in a German POW camp. When finally returned to the United States after being liberated he walked off the ship to be told, "Whites to the right, niggers to the left." Thank you Alexander Jefferson for all that you did, including writing this book.