Wings for This Man
Encyclopedia
Wings for this Man is a propaganda film produced in 1945 by the U.S. Army Air Forces First Motion Picture Unit
about the Tuskegee Airmen
, the first unit of African-American pilots in the US military.
The film begins with dramatic footage of aerial combat over Italy, showing an outnumbered American squadron successfully dogfighting a Luftwaffe formation. When the pilots land they step out and are revealed to be black.
The picture then tells the story of the Tuskegee Airmen
, starting with the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama and the founding of the airstrip near it. The narrator notes that the airmen had to overcome exceeding odds to get the unit created and notes that "there was misunderstanding, distrust and prejudice that had to be cleared away" before the unit could form. A rather standard training/combat/casualty sequence then follows, culminating in the third anniversary celebration of the unit followed by a parade.
While not explicitly mentioning racism the narration does go further than most wartime propaganda stating that "one thing was proved here: that you can't judge a man by the color of his eyes or the shape of his nose" and that "these men were pioneers, and pioneers never have it easy".
First Motion Picture Unit
The First Motion Picture Unit was the first unit of the United States Military to be made up entirely of motion picture personnel. It was also the title of a 1943 documentary about the unit.-Organization:...
about the Tuskegee Airmen
Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen is the popular name of a group of African American pilots who fought in World War II. Formally, they were the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps....
, the first unit of African-American pilots in the US military.
The film begins with dramatic footage of aerial combat over Italy, showing an outnumbered American squadron successfully dogfighting a Luftwaffe formation. When the pilots land they step out and are revealed to be black.
The picture then tells the story of the Tuskegee Airmen
Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen is the popular name of a group of African American pilots who fought in World War II. Formally, they were the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps....
, starting with the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama and the founding of the airstrip near it. The narrator notes that the airmen had to overcome exceeding odds to get the unit created and notes that "there was misunderstanding, distrust and prejudice that had to be cleared away" before the unit could form. A rather standard training/combat/casualty sequence then follows, culminating in the third anniversary celebration of the unit followed by a parade.
While not explicitly mentioning racism the narration does go further than most wartime propaganda stating that "one thing was proved here: that you can't judge a man by the color of his eyes or the shape of his nose" and that "these men were pioneers, and pioneers never have it easy".