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Isn't that something?
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Yeah, it is.
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Boy,
what a small world.
4
00:00:16,099 --> 00:00:18,184
Everything had to be perfect.
5
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The instructor gave me a
maneuver to practice until
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00:00:20,562 --> 00:00:22,814
my next check ride.
7
00:00:22,814 --> 00:00:26,901
I practice, practice, practice
until I got it perfect.
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00:00:27,902 --> 00:00:30,071
I'm having a
birthday party next year.
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00:00:30,071 --> 00:00:31,072
The 100th?
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00:00:31,072 --> 00:00:32,032
Huh?
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- 100?
- Yeah.
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00:00:34,909 --> 00:00:38,079
You fly along
and the sky is so tranquil.
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00:00:38,079 --> 00:00:41,791
And then all of
a sudden: bang!
14
00:00:44,502 --> 00:00:48,757
And here's an 88 anti-aircraft
shell that might explode
15
00:00:48,757 --> 00:00:51,259
right next to you.
16
00:00:51,676 --> 00:00:54,179
Each one of
us wanted to be the best.
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00:00:54,179 --> 00:00:56,556
You get all
those best together.
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00:00:56,556 --> 00:00:58,892
You've got quite
an organization.
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00:00:58,892 --> 00:01:01,186
And that's what we had.
20
00:01:03,605 --> 00:01:05,190
We painted
not only the rudder, but
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00:01:05,190 --> 00:01:07,025
the whole damn tail red.
22
00:01:07,025 --> 00:01:09,652
And so became known
as the "Red Tails."
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00:01:09,652 --> 00:01:12,822
And it was just a symbol.
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Because people started talking
about, "The Real Red Tails."
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In the waters
of Lake Huron,
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00:01:36,471 --> 00:01:39,099
lies a P-39 Airacobra
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flown during a Tuskegee
training mission in 1944.
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Hey there!
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Please stand by.
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00:01:51,528 --> 00:01:53,988
.
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00:02:03,039 --> 00:02:05,750
Let me
know when there are 12 there.
32
00:02:07,002 --> 00:02:09,254
I got it.
33
00:02:12,132 --> 00:02:13,383
You ready?
34
00:02:13,383 --> 00:02:15,760
You ready?
35
00:02:18,513 --> 00:02:21,391
A recovery team is
piecing together what happened
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00:02:21,391 --> 00:02:26,604
in these waters
all those years ago.
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00:02:28,690 --> 00:02:30,483
How many
people know that there are
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{\an8}World War II assets and
archeological sites in America,
39
00:02:34,362 --> 00:02:36,906
{\an8}no less in the Great Lakes?
40
00:02:40,285 --> 00:02:42,537
Wayne Lusardi
and Brian Smith...
41
00:02:42,537 --> 00:02:43,997
Gary, do
you want to zip me up?
42
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...partnered up six
years ago and they've been
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00:02:47,375 --> 00:02:50,378
dedicated to this unique
chapter of America's
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00:02:50,378 --> 00:02:54,215
first Black military
airmen ever since.
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00:02:56,718 --> 00:02:58,428
Bringing
all this back together,
46
00:02:58,428 --> 00:03:01,514
especially in a museum of the
Tuskegee Airmen,
47
00:03:01,514 --> 00:03:05,393
it's going to just
solidify the fact that
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00:03:05,393 --> 00:03:08,730
these men who were not
treated as equal citizens,
49
00:03:08,730 --> 00:03:11,691
were willing
to give their lives.
50
00:03:16,071 --> 00:03:19,366
I think what's not in the
history books is...
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00:03:19,366 --> 00:03:20,992
just the blood,
sweat, and tears that the
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00:03:20,992 --> 00:03:25,455
{\an8}Tuskegee airmen went through
to fight for their country.
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00:03:32,128 --> 00:03:35,423
In training
missions alone, 15 young men
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00:03:35,423 --> 00:03:41,137
lost their lives here
between 1943 and 1944.
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00:03:44,974 --> 00:03:46,768
We have a
sense of urgency to bring the
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00:03:46,768 --> 00:03:49,396
aircraft up because
of its deterioration,
57
00:03:49,396 --> 00:03:51,648
because of a potential
looting threat.
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00:03:51,648 --> 00:03:54,693
The clock is
definitely ticking.
59
00:04:06,454 --> 00:04:10,667
The plane was piloted
by 22-year-old Frank Moody,
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00:04:10,667 --> 00:04:13,420
who had already
completed the rigors of the
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00:04:13,420 --> 00:04:16,631
fledgling Tuskegee program.
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00:04:19,217 --> 00:04:21,052
Recovering
this from the lake bottom is
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00:04:21,052 --> 00:04:23,888
really going to hopefully
lead to answering a lot of the
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00:04:23,888 --> 00:04:27,267
questions that we
have about the site.
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00:04:28,727 --> 00:04:31,604
The Great Lakes
were an advanced training site,
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00:04:31,604 --> 00:04:33,606
so by the time the
pilots arrived here,
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00:04:33,606 --> 00:04:36,901
they were already the
cream of the crop.
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00:04:40,530 --> 00:04:43,950
As a kid,
I used to view the planes
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00:04:43,950 --> 00:04:48,663
{\an8}taking off and landing and
fantasizing about myself being
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00:04:48,663 --> 00:04:50,915
{\an8}the pilot who's
flying the plane.
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00:04:50,915 --> 00:04:53,585
So, I think that's what
actually pointed me towards
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00:04:53,585 --> 00:04:55,545
trying to get into the
aviation field when
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00:04:55,545 --> 00:04:58,048
World War II started.
74
00:05:03,678 --> 00:05:06,473
Training for Tuskegee
pilots on the home front
75
00:05:06,473 --> 00:05:10,477
was difficult and dangerous.
76
00:05:11,811 --> 00:05:14,064
There's
this anxiety, every time you
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00:05:14,064 --> 00:05:17,025
get in that cockpit, you're
always got it in the back of
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00:05:17,025 --> 00:05:19,819
your mind the
danger that you're in.
79
00:05:23,031 --> 00:05:25,241
The coastline
here in the Great Lakes was
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00:05:25,241 --> 00:05:27,786
just like the
coastline in France.
81
00:05:34,542 --> 00:05:36,169
I didn't know
what to expect.
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00:05:36,169 --> 00:05:38,963
{\an8}All this is new to me.
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00:05:38,963 --> 00:05:43,593
I completed the exam, passed it,
then went off to learn to fly.
84
00:05:44,969 --> 00:05:48,264
So, they
trained here in P-39 aircraft.
85
00:05:48,264 --> 00:05:50,517
They would take off from
Selfridge and fly no more than
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00:05:50,517 --> 00:05:54,521
50 feet above trees, hills,
mountains, all the way to
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00:05:54,521 --> 00:05:56,439
Muskegon, turn around and
88
00:05:56,439 --> 00:05:59,693
come back just to prepare
them for combat.
89
00:06:07,409 --> 00:06:09,661
At that time,
Selfridge Field would have
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00:06:09,661 --> 00:06:13,331
been abuzz with
wartime activity.
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00:06:14,791 --> 00:06:19,295
The 332nd had moved from
Tuskegee, Alabama to Michigan
92
00:06:19,295 --> 00:06:23,675
and was supported by young men
who had volunteered to join
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00:06:23,675 --> 00:06:28,138
the war effort,
just like Frank Moody.
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00:06:28,847 --> 00:06:30,515
He started
working for an aviation
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00:06:30,515 --> 00:06:34,185
manufacturing company during
the war and then ultimately
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00:06:34,185 --> 00:06:38,189
was able to get a spot at
Tuskegee, where he earned his
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00:06:38,189 --> 00:06:41,192
wings in February 1944.
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00:06:43,862 --> 00:06:46,072
He had gone
through the primary training,
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00:06:46,072 --> 00:06:48,575
the basic training, the
advanced training,
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00:06:48,575 --> 00:06:50,243
and he was in
combat training here
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00:06:50,243 --> 00:06:52,996
at Selfridge Air
National Guard Base.
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00:06:54,998 --> 00:06:56,624
It's important
to remember how young these
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00:06:56,624 --> 00:06:58,918
men and women were when they
were called into the service,
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00:06:58,918 --> 00:07:02,255
taking on these
training missions.
105
00:07:02,964 --> 00:07:05,425
Each time you go up, you could
potentially lose your life and
106
00:07:05,425 --> 00:07:08,011
you're training to go to war.
107
00:07:08,887 --> 00:07:11,389
I volunteered
to serve my country and
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00:07:11,389 --> 00:07:14,684
{\an8}I'm ready to serve my
country and the war.
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00:07:16,811 --> 00:07:19,522
Their patriotism
was deep and profound
110
00:07:19,522 --> 00:07:21,608
because they not only wanted to
win these military battles,
111
00:07:21,608 --> 00:07:24,736
but they also wanted to change
what America was about.
112
00:07:26,988 --> 00:07:28,865
This isn't the Army's war.
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00:07:28,865 --> 00:07:31,117
It isn't the Navy's war.
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00:07:31,117 --> 00:07:34,120
It's the war of all Americans.
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00:07:35,997 --> 00:07:38,625
But at the time,
the military didn't see
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00:07:38,625 --> 00:07:42,379
all Americans as fit
to serve equally.
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00:07:44,130 --> 00:07:47,926
It took the lobbying of civil
rights activists to force
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00:07:47,926 --> 00:07:52,514
Congress to alter the
Selective Service Act of 1940.
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00:07:55,392 --> 00:07:57,018
The
Selective Service Act has
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00:07:57,018 --> 00:07:59,562
non-discrimination provisions
that are written into it based
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00:07:59,562 --> 00:08:02,357
on the previous protests
of civil right activists.
122
00:08:02,357 --> 00:08:04,693
That means that Black
Americans can't be excluded
123
00:08:04,693 --> 00:08:07,237
from military service.
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00:08:08,738 --> 00:08:11,616
Well, I
volunteered at 17, but I was
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00:08:11,616 --> 00:08:13,868
taken into the service at 18.
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00:08:13,868 --> 00:08:16,371
At the beginning of
World War II,
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00:08:16,371 --> 00:08:19,666
they had a mandatory for all
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00:08:19,666 --> 00:08:25,922
able-bodied males between
the ages of 18 and 36
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00:08:25,922 --> 00:08:29,134
were to register for the draft.
130
00:08:29,134 --> 00:08:31,094
What
machines did you operate?
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00:08:31,094 --> 00:08:33,888
I operated boring
mills, tool grinders,
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00:08:33,888 --> 00:08:36,182
drill presses, planes.
133
00:08:36,182 --> 00:08:39,602
But most of
the African American soldiers,
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00:08:39,602 --> 00:08:42,313
even though they did a fine job,
135
00:08:42,313 --> 00:08:44,607
they were segregated
to the point where
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00:08:44,607 --> 00:08:48,403
they were put into
strictly menial labor.
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00:08:50,905 --> 00:08:52,824
White military
leaders just didn't believe
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00:08:52,824 --> 00:08:54,951
that Black Americans had
the intelligence, courage,
139
00:08:54,951 --> 00:08:57,787
bravery, to be able to be
good soldiers, and they,
140
00:08:57,787 --> 00:09:01,249
military leaders wrote that into
the official documentation.
141
00:09:02,208 --> 00:09:03,835
"According
to the studies, a Negro was
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00:09:03,835 --> 00:09:06,713
barely qualified
for combat duty.
143
00:09:06,713 --> 00:09:11,176
Was by nature subservient,
mentally inferior, and
144
00:09:11,176 --> 00:09:15,805
believed himself to be
inferior to the White man.
145
00:09:17,182 --> 00:09:20,727
Was susceptible to crowd
psychology, cannot control
146
00:09:20,727 --> 00:09:24,773
himself in the face of danger,
and did not have the initiative,
147
00:09:24,773 --> 00:09:27,901
courage, and resourcefulness
of the White man."
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00:09:27,901 --> 00:09:30,362
That's what we
had to put up with.
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00:09:30,362 --> 00:09:33,615
All wrong.
150
00:09:36,117 --> 00:09:39,954
I went down
to join the Army Air Corps.
151
00:09:40,372 --> 00:09:41,289
{\an8}Took the test.
152
00:09:41,998 --> 00:09:45,710
{\an8}Did very well on it, and after
I had hassled them a bit about
153
00:09:45,710 --> 00:09:50,006
{\an8}not being called, I was
informed by the military that
154
00:09:50,006 --> 00:09:52,759
{\an8}I would never be called for
the Army Air Corps because
155
00:09:52,759 --> 00:09:54,636
{\an8}there were no colored units.
156
00:09:54,636 --> 00:09:55,929
{\an8}There was never
going to be one.
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00:09:55,929 --> 00:09:58,014
{\an8}There was no way I could go.
158
00:10:03,395 --> 00:10:06,064
But the Black
activist movement continued
159
00:10:06,064 --> 00:10:09,025
its political assault
on Washington
160
00:10:09,025 --> 00:10:13,029
demanding military equality.
161
00:10:13,988 --> 00:10:16,282
And what Black
activists are demanding are
162
00:10:16,282 --> 00:10:19,244
all things related to the war:
they want access to defense
163
00:10:19,244 --> 00:10:21,329
industry jobs and they want
specific parts of the military
164
00:10:21,329 --> 00:10:24,249
to be opened up, particularly
things like the Army Air Corps.
165
00:10:24,582 --> 00:10:26,710
The White House, Roosevelt,
and other federal officials
166
00:10:26,710 --> 00:10:29,295
just can't ignore anymore.
167
00:10:30,463 --> 00:10:33,425
Roosevelt
was running for a third term.
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00:10:33,425 --> 00:10:39,139
The Negro press and the NAACP,
they were on the backs of
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00:10:39,139 --> 00:10:42,851
Congress wanting
something to happen.
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00:10:50,900 --> 00:10:55,572
And Roosevelt figured that if
he started a fighter squadron,
171
00:10:55,572 --> 00:10:58,825
he'd get the Black vote,
which he did.
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00:10:58,825 --> 00:11:01,369
And he won.
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00:11:01,369 --> 00:11:04,748
But all politics; but
it worked out for us.
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00:11:09,210 --> 00:11:13,673
In January 1941,
the war department established
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00:11:13,673 --> 00:11:17,260
the 99th Pursuit Squadron,
176
00:11:17,260 --> 00:11:19,888
based out of Tuskegee, Alabama.
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00:11:22,849 --> 00:11:26,811
It was the first segregated unit
within the Army Air Corps.
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00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:31,566
I'm proud
of what Tuskegee has done.
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00:11:31,566 --> 00:11:35,612
I don't whether in any
individual institution,
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00:11:35,612 --> 00:11:41,284
realize how much they are being
watched by the outside world.
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00:11:44,621 --> 00:11:46,456
They were
trained to be successful
182
00:11:46,456 --> 00:11:48,625
fighter pilots, but they're
also trained to really prove
183
00:11:48,625 --> 00:11:51,044
to the larger military
establishment that
184
00:11:51,044 --> 00:11:54,172
Black Americans
could do this work.
185
00:11:54,172 --> 00:11:57,133
And that's exactly
what Frank Moody was doing as
186
00:11:57,133 --> 00:12:00,178
he advanced
through the program.
187
00:12:01,096 --> 00:12:03,515
An airman
would have started out at
188
00:12:03,515 --> 00:12:08,186
Tuskegee and then move
to another base that
189
00:12:08,186 --> 00:12:11,147
specifically focused
on combat training.
190
00:12:11,147 --> 00:12:13,983
And that's why they
came to Selfridge.
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00:12:17,904 --> 00:12:21,658
They were learning how to come
from over the horizon on the
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00:12:21,658 --> 00:12:26,121
water to strafe or destroy
radar towers or installation
193
00:12:26,121 --> 00:12:28,790
along the coast.
194
00:12:33,545 --> 00:12:36,923
On the morning
of April 11th, 1944, Frank Moody
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00:12:36,923 --> 00:12:39,426
was flying one of
the most sophisticated
196
00:12:39,426 --> 00:12:43,263
fighter aircraft built at
the time: the P-39.
197
00:12:43,263 --> 00:12:46,975
And did his pre-flight, and
the mission for the day was to
198
00:12:46,975 --> 00:12:50,395
leave early in the morning and
to fly up over Lake Huron,
199
00:12:50,395 --> 00:12:52,897
up the Saint Claire River, and
get out over the Lake Huron
200
00:12:52,897 --> 00:12:55,316
and do some gunnery exercises.
201
00:12:59,195 --> 00:13:01,489
A P-39 Airacobra.
202
00:13:01,489 --> 00:13:05,493
That's a unique airplane; the
engine was behind the pilot.
203
00:13:05,493 --> 00:13:08,621
It had four 50-caliber machine
guns, two of which sat
204
00:13:08,621 --> 00:13:11,416
right on top of the cowling.
205
00:13:11,416 --> 00:13:14,669
In the middle of the airplane,
was a 37-millimeter canon,
206
00:13:14,669 --> 00:13:19,299
which shot a shell
that would destroy tanks.
207
00:13:24,304 --> 00:13:26,014
So, four
aircraft, all P-39s,
208
00:13:26,014 --> 00:13:29,017
left Selfridge Field.
209
00:13:32,687 --> 00:13:34,814
Right before 8:00 in the
morning, they came up over
210
00:13:34,814 --> 00:13:36,358
Lake Huron.
211
00:13:36,358 --> 00:13:38,651
They were flying in
formation from south to north.
212
00:13:38,651 --> 00:13:42,822
And when it was Lieutenant
Moody's time, he discharged
213
00:13:42,822 --> 00:13:44,991
his weapons,
fired into the lake.
214
00:13:48,661 --> 00:13:50,830
And then something happened to
the aircraft that resulted in
215
00:13:50,830 --> 00:13:54,709
an almost instantaneous crash
into the water, cartwheeling
216
00:13:54,709 --> 00:13:56,920
of the aircraft,
and he was gone.
217
00:13:56,920 --> 00:13:59,589
He was killed
immediately in that accident.
218
00:14:02,258 --> 00:14:05,345
His body was
recovered in 54 days,
219
00:14:05,345 --> 00:14:09,015
but the plane was never found.
220
00:14:09,015 --> 00:14:12,394
Until April 11, 2014,
221
00:14:12,727 --> 00:14:16,481
exactly 70 years to
the date of the crash.
222
00:14:24,114 --> 00:14:26,700
Frank Moody's
P-39 was discovered by
223
00:14:26,700 --> 00:14:31,579
Drew and David Losinski,
a father-son dive team.
224
00:14:32,914 --> 00:14:36,001
We were diving,
my son and I, and the water
225
00:14:36,001 --> 00:14:38,878
was crystal clear, this was
early in the Spring, I think.
226
00:14:40,171 --> 00:14:42,007
We went out and
went to the first spot.
227
00:14:42,007 --> 00:14:44,509
{\an8}We figured it was a rock, I
think, and the second spot,
228
00:14:44,509 --> 00:14:47,178
{\an8}Drew's at the very bow of
the boat looking down;
229
00:14:47,178 --> 00:14:48,138
{\an8}we're looking, and he goes,
230
00:14:48,430 --> 00:14:51,266
"Dad, I think you found,
we found an airplane!"
231
00:14:51,266 --> 00:14:53,393
And I'm back driving the boat,
232
00:14:53,393 --> 00:14:55,812
and I says, you know
how parents are,
233
00:14:55,812 --> 00:14:57,689
"yeah, sure, okay."
234
00:14:57,689 --> 00:15:00,442
"No, Dad, it's
really an airplane."
235
00:15:08,491 --> 00:15:10,785
The main thing that we wanted
to do was to find out what the
236
00:15:10,785 --> 00:15:14,289
plane was or how it
got there, whose it was.
237
00:15:15,206 --> 00:15:19,169
We were down swimming,
looking at the wing,
238
00:15:21,838 --> 00:15:24,257
and we dust it off.
239
00:15:26,217 --> 00:15:29,262
You could see the
red position light.
240
00:15:29,262 --> 00:15:33,224
And looking at pictures,
I figured there should be
241
00:15:33,224 --> 00:15:36,061
something, something
painted, so we fanned it off.
242
00:15:36,519 --> 00:15:40,231
And there was a star,
a box with a star.
243
00:15:41,483 --> 00:15:47,572
It means that it's military,
and it's a U.S. military plane.
244
00:15:52,327 --> 00:15:54,579
So later on,
we found out through lots of
245
00:15:54,579 --> 00:15:57,749
research and finding key parts
of the airplane, we got the
246
00:15:57,749 --> 00:16:01,086
{\an8}radio call number, which we
linked to the accident report,
247
00:16:01,086 --> 00:16:06,257
{\an8}which told us that we found
that plane 70 years to the
248
00:16:06,257 --> 00:16:09,135
date of when it crashed.
249
00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:13,390
It was pretty unbelievable.
250
00:16:16,893 --> 00:16:19,354
The Losinski's
became immediate stewards
251
00:16:19,354 --> 00:16:20,814
of this site.
252
00:16:20,814 --> 00:16:22,816
{\an8}We started kind of putting our
head together about
253
00:16:22,816 --> 00:16:25,026
{\an8}what are the options.
254
00:16:25,026 --> 00:16:26,152
Should we leave it in place?
255
00:16:26,569 --> 00:16:29,072
Should we document the entire
wreck site ahead of time?
256
00:16:29,072 --> 00:16:32,409
Should it be recovered
either in part or partially?
257
00:16:33,743 --> 00:16:36,746
Finding Frank Moody's
plane triggered one of
258
00:16:36,746 --> 00:16:41,001
the most important World War II
archeological missions in
259
00:16:41,001 --> 00:16:43,628
the Great Lakes.
260
00:16:44,212 --> 00:16:47,215
This is the
first airplane that has been
261
00:16:47,215 --> 00:16:49,968
archeologically documented
in the state of Michigan.
262
00:16:49,968 --> 00:16:52,137
We're trying to determine a
cause of the accident;
263
00:16:52,137 --> 00:16:54,347
we're trying to see
how an intact,
264
00:16:54,347 --> 00:16:57,726
very complicated machine,
suddenly breaks apart.
265
00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:05,567
Recovering a plane
that's been underwater for
266
00:17:05,567 --> 00:17:08,820
70 years is no easy task.
267
00:17:11,197 --> 00:17:13,283
It's a multi-year effort,
268
00:17:13,283 --> 00:17:15,285
trying to raise
it piece by piece
269
00:17:15,285 --> 00:17:18,913
and then immediately
start preservation efforts.
270
00:17:22,500 --> 00:17:23,585
And the collaboration with the
271
00:17:23,835 --> 00:17:27,964
Tuskegee Airmen National
Museum has been key.
272
00:17:34,721 --> 00:17:36,556
Frank Moody
and his crash brings to light
273
00:17:36,556 --> 00:17:40,435
{\an8}the sacrifices that the Airmen
made just to get to combat.
274
00:17:42,479 --> 00:17:44,314
While we don't have
his first-hand accounts from
275
00:17:44,314 --> 00:17:49,652
Frank, we do from
other Tuskegee Airmen.
276
00:17:58,745 --> 00:18:00,538
I remember
that when I went into the
277
00:18:00,538 --> 00:18:05,085
service, the first place
I was assigned to was
278
00:18:05,085 --> 00:18:07,921
Kessler Field, Mississippi,
279
00:18:07,921 --> 00:18:12,008
{\an8}that being below what they
call the Mason-Dixon Line.
280
00:18:13,301 --> 00:18:16,846
Below that geographical point,
segregation was the law.
281
00:18:16,846 --> 00:18:20,517
It was not a choice,
but a law there.
282
00:18:22,435 --> 00:18:24,062
For Moody and
other Tuskegee pilots,
283
00:18:24,062 --> 00:18:26,064
they're always fighting two
battles at the same time.
284
00:18:26,064 --> 00:18:27,816
They're trained to fight a
military battle, which was
285
00:18:27,816 --> 00:18:30,402
{\an8}frightening in its own right,
but they're also fighting a
286
00:18:30,402 --> 00:18:32,070
{\an8}battle against racism,
287
00:18:32,070 --> 00:18:34,447
{\an8}a battle against
second-class citizenship.
288
00:18:34,989 --> 00:18:36,449
We
got to Washington D.C.
289
00:18:36,449 --> 00:18:39,202
a little early, so I got
off the train, went and had
290
00:18:39,202 --> 00:18:42,372
{\an8}breakfast, came back, went
to get in the car I was in,
291
00:18:42,372 --> 00:18:45,166
{\an8}conductor says,
no, no, no, no.
292
00:18:45,166 --> 00:18:48,003
{\an8}You ride in the car
where Negroes ride.
293
00:18:48,003 --> 00:18:53,216
So, that was my introduction
to segregation and the South.
294
00:18:57,762 --> 00:18:58,972
So, if you're
trying to think of a welcoming
295
00:18:59,347 --> 00:19:02,434
place to train Black troops,
Alabama in the 1940s wouldn't
296
00:19:02,434 --> 00:19:05,895
be the first place
that you would think of.
297
00:19:09,107 --> 00:19:11,109
One of the challenges at
Tuskegee Air Base was that it
298
00:19:11,109 --> 00:19:13,987
was a Jim Crow base in a Jim
Crow city in a Jim Crow state,
299
00:19:13,987 --> 00:19:16,614
and that shaped almost every
aspect of what training was
300
00:19:16,614 --> 00:19:18,616
like for these Black pilots.
301
00:19:18,616 --> 00:19:20,076
I
didn't go to town.
302
00:19:20,076 --> 00:19:22,203
I stayed on the
base the whole time.
303
00:19:22,203 --> 00:19:25,123
You get into
trouble going into town.
304
00:19:25,832 --> 00:19:29,377
Now, down at Tuskegee, one of
the guys went into town,
305
00:19:29,377 --> 00:19:33,548
and the Sheriff told him, if I
ever catch you back in town,
306
00:19:33,548 --> 00:19:35,383
I'll blow your brains out.
307
00:19:45,185 --> 00:19:46,519
The Tuskegee
Airmen had to channel their
308
00:19:46,770 --> 00:19:50,065
{\an8}frustration, their anger, into
their military performance.
309
00:19:53,360 --> 00:19:54,694
My heart
must have skipped a couple of
310
00:19:54,944 --> 00:19:57,822
{\an8}beats and that type of thing,
but I guess it was more with
311
00:19:57,822 --> 00:20:00,575
{\an8}joy than anything else.
312
00:20:00,575 --> 00:20:05,663
I took off, and as soon as I
broke grounds, I just felt
313
00:20:05,663 --> 00:20:10,168
this exhilaration; I've done it,
I've done it, I've done it!
314
00:20:34,150 --> 00:20:36,695
Despite their
excellence, the military and
315
00:20:36,695 --> 00:20:39,823
the public were not on board,
316
00:20:39,823 --> 00:20:44,411
so the NAACP and the
Black press doubled down.
317
00:20:47,831 --> 00:20:49,582
The Black press
understood themselves
318
00:20:49,582 --> 00:20:51,084
as a fighting press.
319
00:20:51,084 --> 00:20:52,627
And the thing they were
fighting for in the lead up to
320
00:20:52,627 --> 00:20:54,504
World War II and then during
World War II was to make sure
321
00:20:54,504 --> 00:20:56,798
Black Americans had a chance
to be able to serve their
322
00:20:56,798 --> 00:20:59,259
country equally.
323
00:21:02,095 --> 00:21:05,390
This relentless
advocacy laid the foundation
324
00:21:05,390 --> 00:21:09,728
for an innovative initiative:
the Double Victory Campaign.
325
00:21:13,773 --> 00:21:15,817
The Double V
Campaign, is really the
326
00:21:15,817 --> 00:21:18,069
rallying cry for Black
Americans during the war.
327
00:21:18,069 --> 00:21:19,946
It's launched by the
Pittsburgh Courier.
328
00:21:19,946 --> 00:21:22,157
What they're calling for is a
victory over fascism abroad
329
00:21:22,157 --> 00:21:24,242
and victory over
racism at home.
330
00:21:34,044 --> 00:21:37,297
Eleanor Roosevelt
lent her powerful voice to the
331
00:21:37,297 --> 00:21:40,258
fight early on.
332
00:21:40,258 --> 00:21:42,052
Everything
Eleanor Roosevelt says and
333
00:21:42,052 --> 00:21:44,637
does becomes news.
334
00:21:44,637 --> 00:21:48,350
Well, she
had always heard that Negroes
335
00:21:48,350 --> 00:21:53,021
{\an8}could not fly airplanes,
so she went to Tuskegee,
336
00:21:53,021 --> 00:21:56,316
and she rode with a guy we
call "Chief" Anderson.
337
00:21:56,316 --> 00:21:58,651
And she found out we
can fly airplanes
338
00:21:58,651 --> 00:22:01,029
just like anybody else.
339
00:22:01,029 --> 00:22:05,241
So, when they took the picture
of she and Chief Anderson in
340
00:22:05,241 --> 00:22:09,037
the airplane and it was
in all the newspapers
341
00:22:09,037 --> 00:22:11,206
throughout the country.
342
00:22:11,206 --> 00:22:14,793
That sealed the
deal right there.
343
00:22:14,793 --> 00:22:18,213
Yes, they can fly
just like anybody else.
344
00:22:18,213 --> 00:22:20,882
As a matter of fact,
they can fly better.
345
00:22:22,717 --> 00:22:24,761
Just ask me.
346
00:22:34,312 --> 00:22:38,733
In 1942, the first
class of cadets graduated from
347
00:22:38,733 --> 00:22:41,945
{\an8}Tuskegee Army Airfield.
348
00:22:43,488 --> 00:22:46,074
One of the
most fantastic days in my life
349
00:22:46,074 --> 00:22:49,119
there that I can never forget.
350
00:22:49,619 --> 00:22:53,665
But it was graduation day, and
just before going up and being
351
00:22:53,665 --> 00:22:58,294
presented my wings and
my bars, as I said,
352
00:22:58,294 --> 00:23:01,131
"I think I've done it!"
353
00:23:01,631 --> 00:23:03,174
Yes,
it was a special day.
354
00:23:03,174 --> 00:23:07,262
{\an8}We succeeded in the training
and got our wings and now
355
00:23:07,262 --> 00:23:10,181
{\an8}we're commissioned as an
actual Second Lieutenant in
356
00:23:10,181 --> 00:23:12,517
the United States Army.
357
00:23:12,517 --> 00:23:14,185
And in July, a year before,
358
00:23:14,185 --> 00:23:16,271
I was just getting
into the service.
359
00:23:16,271 --> 00:23:17,939
And now I'm a pilot.
360
00:23:17,939 --> 00:23:20,400
I can fly airplanes.
361
00:23:26,114 --> 00:23:29,451
But the
risks were great.
362
00:23:30,118 --> 00:23:34,497
Nearly 15,000 servicemen died
during training exercises
363
00:23:34,497 --> 00:23:37,500
in the United States alone.
364
00:23:49,262 --> 00:23:53,224
Today, the archeological quest
to understand what happened to
365
00:23:53,224 --> 00:23:57,437
Frank Moody is in
its tenth year.
366
00:23:57,437 --> 00:24:00,690
According to
the U.S. Army accident report,
367
00:24:00,690 --> 00:24:03,109
the other three pilots
that were in formation
368
00:24:03,109 --> 00:24:05,820
with Lieutenant
Frank Moody, two of them
369
00:24:05,820 --> 00:24:09,074
reported seeing fragments
coming off of the aircraft,
370
00:24:09,074 --> 00:24:12,077
near the forward fuselage.
371
00:24:17,999 --> 00:24:20,335
It's always a possibility
that there's some kind of
372
00:24:20,335 --> 00:24:23,296
mechanical problem
with the aircraft.
373
00:24:24,172 --> 00:24:26,424
The airplane
started to shake apart,
374
00:24:26,424 --> 00:24:28,218
{\an8}and he lost control.
375
00:24:28,218 --> 00:24:31,513
{\an8}The airplane nosed into
the lake, Lake Huron.
376
00:24:34,224 --> 00:24:35,767
The Army,
because they never found the
377
00:24:35,767 --> 00:24:38,603
airplane, really never came
to any conclusions as to
378
00:24:38,603 --> 00:24:40,814
what caused the accident.
379
00:24:48,071 --> 00:24:50,198
When the team
started exploring the site in
380
00:24:50,198 --> 00:24:54,160
2015, they had to figure out
the best way to recover
381
00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:57,580
all of the parts.
382
00:24:59,708 --> 00:25:02,961
Looking at a
vastly scattered airplane
383
00:25:02,961 --> 00:25:04,963
has been a challenge.
384
00:25:04,963 --> 00:25:06,089
It became very overwhelming.
385
00:25:06,381 --> 00:25:09,259
It's like, okay, well, how
are we going to do this?
386
00:25:10,343 --> 00:25:13,263
The ultimate goal of this
project is to bring the
387
00:25:13,263 --> 00:25:16,307
aircraft up in its entirety.
388
00:25:22,564 --> 00:25:24,566
Nick, you have the go-pro?
389
00:25:24,566 --> 00:25:26,693
Yep.
390
00:25:44,169 --> 00:25:45,628
{\an8}The site is broken.
391
00:25:45,628 --> 00:25:47,005
{\an8}It's highly disarticulated.
392
00:25:47,255 --> 00:25:49,299
{\an8}You had and airplane that was
roughly 30 feet in length and
393
00:25:49,299 --> 00:25:52,927
about a 32-foot wingspan that
is now in literally thousands
394
00:25:52,927 --> 00:25:55,847
of pieces across
the lake floor.
395
00:26:05,231 --> 00:26:08,026
Gimme that knife for the cable.
396
00:26:12,614 --> 00:26:15,075
Alright.
Winch up.
397
00:26:20,997 --> 00:26:24,167
We got this
humongous propeller blade
398
00:26:24,167 --> 00:26:26,753
with the gearbox.
399
00:26:29,005 --> 00:26:31,299
I say stop.
400
00:26:35,929 --> 00:26:38,098
Cool!
401
00:26:47,273 --> 00:26:49,818
The
accident report suggested that
402
00:26:49,818 --> 00:26:52,195
something may have happened
up forward in the fuselage,
403
00:26:52,195 --> 00:26:54,614
and that could have
been a propeller issue.
404
00:26:54,614 --> 00:26:55,990
Of course,
I was imagining
405
00:26:55,990 --> 00:26:57,158
the whole airplane.
406
00:26:57,492 --> 00:27:00,078
That's exactly
what I was thinking too.
407
00:27:00,370 --> 00:27:03,164
The remarkable thing is
how far apart they all are.
408
00:27:03,164 --> 00:27:07,127
You know, this one was 500
feet beyond, or the single
409
00:27:07,127 --> 00:27:10,380
blade was 500 feet north,
and the other one was
410
00:27:10,380 --> 00:27:12,674
1,200 feet
to the south of it.
411
00:27:12,674 --> 00:27:15,176
This is maybe
the last piece in the puzzle
412
00:27:15,176 --> 00:27:17,679
of why the airplane went down.
413
00:27:17,679 --> 00:27:20,223
It's, so far, you know,
up until this point,
414
00:27:20,223 --> 00:27:22,017
it's just been unexplainable.
415
00:27:22,017 --> 00:27:26,438
It's about
70-some years and, wow.
416
00:27:27,897 --> 00:27:31,234
Yeah, it's pretty crazy.
417
00:27:48,752 --> 00:27:50,670
By the time
Frank Moody was flying his
418
00:27:50,670 --> 00:27:53,631
training missions,
Tuskegee Airmen had
419
00:27:53,631 --> 00:27:57,385
been in the European
theater for over a year.
420
00:28:08,396 --> 00:28:10,065
Wing
cameras, synchronized with
421
00:28:10,065 --> 00:28:13,026
blazing guns, record dramatic
evidence of Nazi planes
422
00:28:13,026 --> 00:28:15,111
blasted from the skies.
423
00:28:21,701 --> 00:28:23,745
I never thought
about air-to-air combat as
424
00:28:23,745 --> 00:28:25,663
{\an8}a big problem.
425
00:28:28,958 --> 00:28:30,585
{\an8}I looked for it.
426
00:28:30,585 --> 00:28:34,464
{\an8}I'd be flying along, "oh, I hope
we get some enemy aircraft."
427
00:28:34,464 --> 00:28:37,717
{\an8}I thought about that is
a duel between two men.
428
00:28:37,717 --> 00:28:41,262
I believed that I was a
competent pilot, and I knew in
429
00:28:41,262 --> 00:28:43,682
my mind that I was.
430
00:28:51,690 --> 00:28:53,400
Lee Archer flew
under the command of
431
00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:56,695
Benjamin O. Davis, Junior.
432
00:28:59,572 --> 00:29:01,074
Davis is one
of the amazing figures
433
00:29:01,074 --> 00:29:02,492
from World War II.
434
00:29:02,492 --> 00:29:04,411
He graduates from
West Point in 1936.
435
00:29:04,411 --> 00:29:06,496
He's the first Black person
to graduate from West Point
436
00:29:06,496 --> 00:29:09,040
in the 20th century,
only the fourth overall.
437
00:29:09,040 --> 00:29:11,001
It's only with the Tuskegee
Experiment getting started
438
00:29:11,001 --> 00:29:12,961
that he has the opportunity to
pursue his lifelong dream of
439
00:29:12,961 --> 00:29:14,671
becoming a pilot.
440
00:29:14,671 --> 00:29:17,882
He
was a no-nonsense guy.
441
00:29:17,882 --> 00:29:19,926
Everything had
to be done right.
442
00:29:19,926 --> 00:29:22,804
{\an8}And you can't
knock him for that.
443
00:29:22,804 --> 00:29:25,682
{\an8}That's the way things should
be no matter what you do,
444
00:29:25,682 --> 00:29:27,142
{\an8}you do it right.
445
00:29:27,142 --> 00:29:30,103
And he was our commander.
446
00:29:30,103 --> 00:29:32,105
He made
a military man out of me.
447
00:29:32,105 --> 00:29:35,316
{\an8}I think that he
taught us discipline.
448
00:29:35,316 --> 00:29:39,195
{\an8}And he always tried to
encourage us to improve
449
00:29:39,195 --> 00:29:43,241
{\an8}ourselves because he said,
"America's watching you."
450
00:29:57,714 --> 00:29:59,507
Today
is a really big deal.
451
00:29:59,507 --> 00:30:00,633
It's a major
piece of the puzzle.
452
00:30:01,051 --> 00:30:02,677
{\an8}It's going to tell us a lot
about the airplane and what
453
00:30:02,677 --> 00:30:06,598
{\an8}was going on with it when
Lieutenant Moody crashed here.
454
00:30:17,776 --> 00:30:19,694
It's
really murky down there.
455
00:30:19,694 --> 00:30:21,488
I thought it would be
better today because
456
00:30:21,488 --> 00:30:22,989
{\an8}it's sunny and calm.
457
00:30:22,989 --> 00:30:25,700
{\an8}I think yesterday just
stirred everything up.
458
00:30:29,371 --> 00:30:31,081
We're
still waiting on straps, ok?
459
00:30:31,081 --> 00:30:33,208
Ok.
460
00:30:38,171 --> 00:30:39,923
Do
not move the cable.
461
00:30:40,298 --> 00:30:42,967
Very good. Good.
462
00:30:42,967 --> 00:30:44,719
In a few
minutes we're going to see
463
00:30:44,719 --> 00:30:48,765
Alison engine coming up that
powered the P-39 that
464
00:30:48,765 --> 00:30:51,393
Frank Moody was flying.
465
00:30:51,393 --> 00:30:53,478
I can't wait.
466
00:30:53,770 --> 00:30:56,648
I got
that the cradle's
467
00:30:56,648 --> 00:30:59,609
going to be the way.
468
00:31:02,654 --> 00:31:04,239
I'm
seeing the airbag.
469
00:31:04,239 --> 00:31:07,158
The crane hook is coming up.
470
00:31:07,617 --> 00:31:08,910
There it is!
471
00:31:09,244 --> 00:31:10,870
About two feet underwater and
it hasn't been this this high
472
00:31:10,870 --> 00:31:15,625
since 1944, April 11th.
473
00:31:18,128 --> 00:31:19,546
Yeah, you can
stop right there.
474
00:31:19,546 --> 00:31:21,214
The bolts are underneath.
475
00:31:21,214 --> 00:31:22,716
Good work Wayne!
476
00:31:22,716 --> 00:31:24,175
Pretty smooth!
477
00:31:24,175 --> 00:31:25,385
Congratulations!
478
00:31:25,385 --> 00:31:28,555
.
479
00:31:29,180 --> 00:31:31,516
Piece by piece
airplane's coming up.
480
00:31:32,017 --> 00:31:35,812
I don't
have the words to express.
481
00:31:37,230 --> 00:31:38,982
Probably the
heaviest single component of
482
00:31:38,982 --> 00:31:40,442
the aircraft.
483
00:31:40,442 --> 00:31:43,778
So, very cool, it's really
going to start to teach us
484
00:31:43,778 --> 00:31:46,656
a lot about this airplane.
485
00:31:46,656 --> 00:31:47,991
Getting it back to the
486
00:31:47,991 --> 00:31:50,326
Tuskegee Airmen
National Museum in Detroit
487
00:31:50,326 --> 00:31:53,538
will start the
conservation process.
488
00:31:53,538 --> 00:31:57,334
Having the engine, the
propeller, the gearbox,
489
00:31:57,334 --> 00:32:01,046
all of that to examine from a
forensics side will help us
490
00:32:01,046 --> 00:32:04,299
determine what was the
cause of the accident.
491
00:32:05,675 --> 00:32:07,677
Are we good to good?
492
00:32:07,677 --> 00:32:10,388
Alright.
493
00:32:19,189 --> 00:32:21,107
Now, we
have to transport it to shore.
494
00:32:21,107 --> 00:32:23,443
We've got to get it off of
this barge, move it onto a
495
00:32:23,443 --> 00:32:26,404
flatbed vehicle, and
then transport it to the
496
00:32:26,404 --> 00:32:29,282
conservation
laboratory in Detroit.
497
00:32:33,703 --> 00:32:36,206
We do need
to move the water machine.
498
00:32:36,206 --> 00:32:37,749
Are
you pumping currently?
499
00:32:37,749 --> 00:32:38,875
No.
500
00:32:38,875 --> 00:32:40,043
- No.
- Ok.
501
00:32:40,043 --> 00:32:41,294
- We just turned it off.
- Ok.
502
00:32:41,294 --> 00:32:42,545
Ready for
the engine?
503
00:32:42,545 --> 00:32:44,631
- We got it.
- I got it.
504
00:32:44,631 --> 00:32:47,592
You go
up, just a little bit.
505
00:32:47,592 --> 00:32:50,053
Alright, hold.
506
00:32:57,102 --> 00:32:58,978
Alright, nice and slow.
507
00:32:58,978 --> 00:33:01,147
Nice.
508
00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:04,442
The laying out
the plane like this today is
509
00:33:04,442 --> 00:33:08,154
an incredible visual
opportunity to get a feel
510
00:33:08,154 --> 00:33:09,698
for how big this airplane is.
511
00:33:09,698 --> 00:33:12,200
It's hard to imagine it when
you're underwater looking at
512
00:33:12,200 --> 00:33:14,994
just a little piece here and
a little piece there and it's
513
00:33:14,994 --> 00:33:18,164
pretty impressive to
kind of see it like this.
514
00:33:18,164 --> 00:33:20,291
This is the first time these
artifacts have come together
515
00:33:20,291 --> 00:33:22,502
in this orientation since
the airplane went apart
516
00:33:22,502 --> 00:33:25,588
79 years ago.
517
00:33:26,798 --> 00:33:30,135
This is the artifact that
designed this entire airplane:
518
00:33:30,135 --> 00:33:32,345
the 37-millimeter cannon.
519
00:33:32,345 --> 00:33:34,556
It was mounted at the nose.
520
00:33:34,556 --> 00:33:37,058
It was also armed with
50-caliber machine guns
521
00:33:37,058 --> 00:33:38,643
on either side.
522
00:33:38,643 --> 00:33:41,229
And so with all of this stuff
up in the forward fuselage,
523
00:33:41,229 --> 00:33:43,148
it was no room for the engine.
524
00:33:43,148 --> 00:33:46,109
So, the engine went
back behind the pilot.
525
00:33:46,109 --> 00:33:48,361
And that was a very unique
situation for a single-seat
526
00:33:48,361 --> 00:33:51,156
fighter aircraft at that time.
527
00:33:51,156 --> 00:33:53,950
It gives me
pause to think this big, massive
528
00:33:53,950 --> 00:33:58,830
1200- pound engine, would
actually fly in an airplane.
529
00:34:03,501 --> 00:34:07,130
But the P-39's
had their limitations;
530
00:34:07,130 --> 00:34:10,550
they performed best
at lower altitudes,
531
00:34:10,550 --> 00:34:12,093
better for strafing.
532
00:34:17,140 --> 00:34:18,558
They needed
airplanes that would go
533
00:34:18,558 --> 00:34:21,895
{\an8}further, and they got the 51.
534
00:34:21,895 --> 00:34:24,272
{\an8}It could go further.
It could go higher.
535
00:34:24,272 --> 00:34:27,484
{\an8}It could fly longer.
It could turn better.
536
00:34:27,484 --> 00:34:31,696
{\an8}It had all of the
agile traits of a fighter.
537
00:34:34,157 --> 00:34:36,951
When I got
in the P-51 and I took it off,
538
00:34:36,951 --> 00:34:40,330
{\an8}I fell in love with it,
the first time I flew it.
539
00:34:40,330 --> 00:34:44,125
{\an8}It was such a beautifully
handling aircraft.
540
00:34:48,838 --> 00:34:50,340
The Tuskegee
pilots had a very specific
541
00:34:50,340 --> 00:34:51,675
{\an8}role in combat.
542
00:34:51,675 --> 00:34:53,635
{\an8}Their job was to accompany
bombers on these
543
00:34:53,635 --> 00:34:55,470
targeted bombing runs.
544
00:34:55,720 --> 00:34:57,222
Huge
fleets of allied bombers
545
00:34:57,222 --> 00:34:59,808
protected by umbrellas of
fighter planes, continue their
546
00:34:59,808 --> 00:35:03,687
all-out offensive upon
Nazi war plants in Europe.
547
00:35:12,904 --> 00:35:14,614
The White
fighter groups, they were
548
00:35:14,614 --> 00:35:18,743
averaging 46 bombers
lost per mission.
549
00:35:18,743 --> 00:35:20,537
{\an8}Per mission.
550
00:35:20,537 --> 00:35:22,956
{\an8}That's a lot of people.
551
00:35:22,956 --> 00:35:24,332
A lot of people.
552
00:35:24,332 --> 00:35:27,210
That's why we got the
job of escorting bombers.
553
00:35:29,838 --> 00:35:32,215
Colonel Davis
said, "don't leave the bombers.
554
00:35:32,215 --> 00:35:34,843
If that German fighter leaves,
let him go and you stick with
555
00:35:34,843 --> 00:35:36,094
the bombers.
556
00:35:36,469 --> 00:35:38,888
{\an8}There's ten men on each bomber
airplane, only one man in that
557
00:35:38,888 --> 00:35:40,765
{\an8}German fighter.
558
00:35:40,765 --> 00:35:43,435
{\an8}We want to protect the
bombers and bring those home.
559
00:35:46,646 --> 00:35:48,690
When we first
started flying with them,
560
00:35:48,690 --> 00:35:51,401
{\an8}they knew that there was a new
fighter group that had joined:
561
00:35:51,401 --> 00:35:52,569
{\an8}the Red Tails.
562
00:35:52,944 --> 00:35:56,031
{\an8}They said who are these guys
flying these damn Red Tails?
563
00:35:56,031 --> 00:35:58,324
{\an8}These guys are
with us all the way.
564
00:35:58,324 --> 00:36:00,744
{\an8}By the way, who
are these guys?
565
00:36:09,961 --> 00:36:11,463
One of the
things that happens after the
566
00:36:11,463 --> 00:36:13,006
Tuskegee Airmen get into
combat is they start to
567
00:36:13,006 --> 00:36:15,008
receive media attention, not
just from Black newspapers,
568
00:36:15,008 --> 00:36:17,344
but now from
national newspapers.
569
00:36:17,344 --> 00:36:19,512
They say that they've mastered
the art of aviation,
570
00:36:19,512 --> 00:36:22,390
that they're squashing
Hitler's Aces like bugs.
571
00:36:26,603 --> 00:36:27,896
It got to
the point where they were
572
00:36:27,896 --> 00:36:29,856
requesting us.
573
00:36:29,856 --> 00:36:31,691
They wanted us.
574
00:36:31,691 --> 00:36:34,319
They didn't believe we were
flying airplanes when we got
575
00:36:34,319 --> 00:36:38,156
over there, because the book
said "no, they can't do that."
576
00:36:39,407 --> 00:36:40,658
On a
bombing mission over enemy
577
00:36:41,076 --> 00:36:44,412
territory, a fighter escort
is a mighty comforting sight.
578
00:36:44,412 --> 00:36:46,581
This man thought it
was plenty good enough.
579
00:36:46,581 --> 00:36:50,585
As far as he was concerned,
this man could fly tough cover
580
00:36:50,585 --> 00:36:54,089
for him any day.
581
00:36:54,464 --> 00:36:56,508
When I was
escorting the bombers,
582
00:36:56,508 --> 00:36:58,677
there were White guys
in these planes here,
583
00:36:58,677 --> 00:37:00,512
they were just Americans there.
584
00:37:00,512 --> 00:37:02,472
We were all on the same team.
585
00:37:02,472 --> 00:37:05,100
That's what they were, and I
never looked at them as being
586
00:37:05,100 --> 00:37:08,186
White or anything else.
587
00:37:08,186 --> 00:37:11,064
We were just team members.
588
00:37:13,900 --> 00:37:15,985
After their
many successes in Europe,
589
00:37:15,985 --> 00:37:21,700
the Tuskegee Airmen
were unstoppable.
590
00:37:23,743 --> 00:37:26,121
Now, you
may ask, who was the best?
591
00:37:26,121 --> 00:37:28,581
Depends on who's
telling the story!
592
00:37:30,041 --> 00:37:31,292
Right now, I am!
593
00:37:41,219 --> 00:37:42,929
Throughout
the world, throngs of people
594
00:37:42,929 --> 00:37:45,765
hail the end
of the war in Europe.
595
00:37:46,182 --> 00:37:47,767
Victory
Over Europe Day was a time of
596
00:37:47,767 --> 00:37:50,020
jubilation for
Black Americans.
597
00:37:50,020 --> 00:37:53,106
The whole
world must be cleansed of the
598
00:37:53,106 --> 00:37:57,152
evil from which half
the world has been freed.
599
00:37:58,862 --> 00:38:00,613
The hope that
with the war over, they will
600
00:38:00,613 --> 00:38:02,449
finally be able to come back
to the United States and start
601
00:38:02,449 --> 00:38:05,410
to see some of what they
fought for come into reality.
602
00:38:06,953 --> 00:38:09,330
I remember
this for the rest of my life:
603
00:38:09,330 --> 00:38:12,709
{\an8}we were coming down the
gangplank, getting off the
604
00:38:12,709 --> 00:38:16,421
{\an8}boat, they had a sign at
the bottom of the gangplank:
605
00:38:16,421 --> 00:38:18,131
{\an8}Whites to one side.
606
00:38:18,131 --> 00:38:20,050
{\an8}Colored to the other side.
607
00:38:20,050 --> 00:38:24,637
{\an8}And I said to myself,
"This is some country."
608
00:38:30,352 --> 00:38:33,772
After the war, the
Tuskegee pilots returned to
609
00:38:33,772 --> 00:38:39,319
segregated units, but their
successes in Europe
610
00:38:39,319 --> 00:38:43,239
served as a rallying
cry for change.
611
00:38:48,328 --> 00:38:49,871
One of the
first and most important
612
00:38:49,871 --> 00:38:52,332
civil rights milestones after
the war was the signing of
613
00:38:52,332 --> 00:38:54,668
Executive Order 9981.
614
00:38:55,001 --> 00:38:56,503
By
Executive Order of President
615
00:38:56,503 --> 00:39:00,757
Harry S. Truman: integration
of all military units.
616
00:39:00,757 --> 00:39:04,719
It will take time, but
the policy was established.
617
00:39:05,887 --> 00:39:07,389
The more
I thought about it,
618
00:39:07,389 --> 00:39:09,391
{\an8}we really did something special.
619
00:39:09,391 --> 00:39:12,352
{\an8}If we had not been as successful
as we were, there is
620
00:39:12,352 --> 00:39:16,731
{\an8}no way that Truman would have
possibly made that move.
621
00:39:18,066 --> 00:39:19,442
So, the
military becomes integrated
622
00:39:19,442 --> 00:39:21,361
before most of corporate
America, before most of
623
00:39:21,361 --> 00:39:22,487
{\an8}higher education does.
624
00:39:22,987 --> 00:39:24,739
{\an8}And so, it really provides one
of the building blocks for the
625
00:39:24,739 --> 00:39:26,533
{\an8}larger success of the
Civil Right Movement
626
00:39:26,533 --> 00:39:29,119
{\an8}in the 1950s and 60s.
627
00:39:29,994 --> 00:39:32,163
One of the troubling things
that happens at the end of
628
00:39:32,163 --> 00:39:35,250
World War II is that the first
wave of books that come out
629
00:39:35,250 --> 00:39:36,584
about the war,
630
00:39:36,584 --> 00:39:40,046
really write Black Americans
out of the story.
631
00:39:40,046 --> 00:39:42,882
That's why it took so
long before the service,
632
00:39:42,882 --> 00:39:46,052
the patriotism, the tremendous
successes, and path-breaking
633
00:39:46,052 --> 00:39:49,139
work of the Tuskegee Airmen
to come to the forefront.
634
00:39:53,309 --> 00:39:56,855
Now, Frank
Moody's recovered P-39...
635
00:39:56,855 --> 00:39:58,690
Hey,
we'll swing around.
636
00:39:58,690 --> 00:40:03,319
Is adding a new
chapter to the Airmen's stories.
637
00:40:03,319 --> 00:40:05,864
It's amazing
that this gun isn't bent.
638
00:40:05,864 --> 00:40:07,574
When we start
to look at this and when we
639
00:40:07,574 --> 00:40:10,493
have this all kind of laid out
here, we're starting to see a
640
00:40:10,493 --> 00:40:14,414
{\an8}lot of damage that happened
in the propeller blades.
641
00:40:14,414 --> 00:40:18,335
{\an8}And you might think that
that's just a rock hole or
642
00:40:18,335 --> 00:40:20,920
something that was damage as
this artifact was sitting on
643
00:40:20,920 --> 00:40:23,506
the lake floor for the last
eight decades, but when you
644
00:40:23,506 --> 00:40:26,343
start looking at the other two
blades and they have identical
645
00:40:26,343 --> 00:40:30,013
holes in them, suddenly we're
starting to see something
646
00:40:30,013 --> 00:40:33,516
here; a major problem that's
going on with this aircraft.
647
00:40:34,059 --> 00:40:35,560
{\an8}Synchronization, if you've ever
648
00:40:35,560 --> 00:40:37,062
{\an8}gone to dance class and
danced with a partner,
649
00:40:37,062 --> 00:40:39,731
{\an8}you don't want to
step on their toes.
650
00:40:39,731 --> 00:40:42,901
{\an8}So, you would synchronize your
steps, so that you always
651
00:40:42,901 --> 00:40:45,195
miss each other's feet.
652
00:40:45,195 --> 00:40:50,992
And this airplane had a
synchronizer or an interrupter
653
00:40:50,992 --> 00:40:55,914
in the hub, which knew where
the propeller blade was and
654
00:40:55,914 --> 00:40:59,584
would stop this gun from
firing when the blade was
655
00:40:59,584 --> 00:41:01,670
in front of the gun.
656
00:41:01,670 --> 00:41:04,005
In in a sense,
the pilot's not actually
657
00:41:04,005 --> 00:41:05,131
shooting the gun.
658
00:41:05,632 --> 00:41:07,425
He's pulling the trigger, but
then the airplane's deciding,
659
00:41:07,425 --> 00:41:10,470
right here, when that
gun is actually firing.
660
00:41:10,470 --> 00:41:12,222
Yes.
661
00:41:12,222 --> 00:41:14,015
When Lieutenant
Moody pulled the trigger,
662
00:41:14,015 --> 00:41:16,434
the guns fired into
the propeller blades and
663
00:41:16,434 --> 00:41:19,270
they created an entry
hole and an exit wound.
664
00:41:19,270 --> 00:41:21,064
And that's the same,
very consistent,
665
00:41:21,064 --> 00:41:23,983
on all three of these blades.
666
00:41:23,983 --> 00:41:26,611
If it was
Frank Moody's fault, you know,
667
00:41:26,611 --> 00:41:30,365
due to pilot error or a
collision with another aircraft,
668
00:41:30,365 --> 00:41:33,702
we would see other damage,
especially in these blades
669
00:41:33,702 --> 00:41:36,037
that we're not seeing.
670
00:41:36,037 --> 00:41:38,707
The proof found
in these blades serve as a
671
00:41:38,707 --> 00:41:43,294
testament to Frank Moody and
his extraordinary journey.
672
00:41:43,795 --> 00:41:44,796
Amazing!
673
00:41:45,380 --> 00:41:47,132
In the end, it
was the mechanical system
674
00:41:47,132 --> 00:41:48,800
that failed him.
675
00:41:48,800 --> 00:41:51,886
Now we can
chronicle, highlight, and
676
00:41:51,886 --> 00:41:55,390
talk about his life and the
importance of his life toward
677
00:41:55,390 --> 00:41:58,643
the war effort, toward
fighting the Germans.
678
00:42:00,353 --> 00:42:02,355
Artifacts like
the plane help us make those
679
00:42:02,355 --> 00:42:05,900
jumps between scale in terms
of how we talk about history.
680
00:42:05,900 --> 00:42:07,777
Frank Moody's story is one
piece of the puzzle that helps
681
00:42:07,777 --> 00:42:10,572
to fill in our larger
understanding of what America
682
00:42:10,572 --> 00:42:13,241
was like during World War II.
683
00:42:13,241 --> 00:42:14,951
And more than anything, it
gives us an opportunity to
684
00:42:14,951 --> 00:42:17,078
help honor the service
and sacrifices of
685
00:42:17,078 --> 00:42:19,372
those Black veterans.
686
00:42:20,290 --> 00:42:23,460
For years the
Tuskegee Airmen pushed the
687
00:42:23,460 --> 00:42:26,171
boundaries of what was possible,
688
00:42:26,171 --> 00:42:28,340
distinguishing themselves in the air,
689
00:42:28,340 --> 00:42:33,887
while breaking barriers for
Black Americans everywhere.
690
00:42:33,887 --> 00:42:36,139
One of the
through lines in Black history
691
00:42:36,139 --> 00:42:38,558
is Black people having to
prove they could do things
692
00:42:38,558 --> 00:42:40,518
other people doubt
that they could do.
693
00:42:40,518 --> 00:42:43,730
Outside, the
next day, then it all came back.
694
00:42:43,730 --> 00:42:45,857
Everything we did
had to be perfect.
695
00:42:45,857 --> 00:42:48,151
Everything had to be perfect.
696
00:42:48,151 --> 00:42:51,112
That helped us and
made us better pilots.
697
00:42:51,112 --> 00:42:53,907
That's why we were so good.
698
00:42:53,907 --> 00:42:56,910
What can I say?
699
00:42:58,161 --> 00:43:00,413
They were trying to
take us down the drain,
700
00:43:00,413 --> 00:43:02,957
and we said, no, no, no.
701
00:43:05,877 --> 00:43:08,463
Well, it's a
matter that we prove them wrong
702
00:43:08,463 --> 00:43:12,175
that we could do a job
and that's about all you can do.
703
00:43:12,175 --> 00:43:15,470
But they'll always be
some doubting Thomases,
704
00:43:15,470 --> 00:43:19,474
but we did the best we could.
705
00:43:25,647 --> 00:43:27,440
Well, that's it.
706
00:43:27,440 --> 00:43:29,067
That's it, we proved it.
707
00:43:29,067 --> 00:43:31,403
And that hangs on you when you
feel as though that every day
708
00:43:31,403 --> 00:43:34,280
you have something to prove.
709
00:43:35,323 --> 00:43:38,284
We showed
them that yes, we can think.
710
00:43:38,284 --> 00:43:41,454
{\an8}We can think under pressure,
we can think all the time.
711
00:43:41,454 --> 00:43:45,667
{\an8}We know how to do the job and
get the job done, done right.
712
00:43:47,419 --> 00:43:49,504
I'm in the
mood to fly that Cessna
713
00:43:49,504 --> 00:43:51,548
{\an8}right now, you want to
go up with me?
714
00:43:51,548 --> 00:43:53,008
Ok.
If I can get in!
715
00:43:54,050 --> 00:43:55,176
{\an8}That's my problem!
716
00:43:56,386 --> 00:43:58,179
Ok!
717
00:43:59,556 --> 00:44:01,641
{\an8}Captioned by
Cotter Media Group.
57954
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