Thursday morning in honor of Black History Month, World War II veteran and most notably Tuskegee Airman veteran, Lt. Calvin J. Spann, visited North Lake College to give a brief lecture on his experience having served with the famous 332nd Group, the Tuskegee Airmen.
As many may know the Tuskegee Airmen were the first African American airmen in U.S. military history. An amazing fact considering that during the 1940's the armed forces were racially segregated.
Shortly after high school, while America was in midst of World War II, Lt. Spann recalled, “I decided I wanted to help my country”.
“From day one, when I joined the service, we were out to prove a point to the American people”.
Rightfully so, most men shared the same objectives, to finish their jobs with honor, and to prove that anything can be done no matter the color of your skin.
Although his mother and family had their doubts, they supported his decision.
Shortly after becoming a fighter pilot with the 100th Fighter Squadron, his regular job became escorting and protecting U.S. Bombers. One of his most satisfying memories is the fact that during his tenure with the Red Tails, they never lost a bomber they escorted to enemy fire.
In a blink of an eye a young man suddenly turned into an American hero.
During the war Lt. Spann flew a total of twenty-six combat missions before ending his Tour of Duty in Italy. In 1961 he was honorably discharged from the Air Force Reserves. Throughout his military career he was awarded various medals, along with his squadron. Most recently, back in 2006, he and the Tuskegee Airmen were presented with the Congressional Gold Medal by former President George W. Bush.
When asked whether or not the blockbuster hit Red Tails correctly portrayed the real Tuskegee Airmen, Lt. Spann replied, “I think they did a very, very good job of portraying some things that happened”. Jokingly he added, “Something they left out was during training period we had some tough hazing, and they also didn't mention my name in the movie”.
At the end of the day though, what men like Lt. Calvin J. Spann experienced during a difficult time in American history certainly will never be truly understood in a film. The legend and story of the fighting 994 men, the real Tuskegee Airmen will never be forgotten. The way they changed a country will always be remembered.
Lt. Spann said it best, “We opened the door not just for black people, but for the whole country to be able to welcome in people from all over the world”.
