back in the states, benjamin davis was given command to the 332nd fighter group.re stationed at self ridge field, michigan. >> they formed fighter squadron which they called the 232nd group. they moved us up to michigan. while we were up there. >> oliver: what was the cause of the friction up in michigan? >> the pilots wanted to go to the officer's club. the government made these officers join the club. they took money out to pay yet they wouldn't let the blacks go in there. another incident happened, base commander up there, they sent a black negro to be his chauffer and he shot him. >> the private survived but the base commander william colin was found guilty. they called the verdict a farce and disgusting. secretary of war agreed and ousted coleman out of army and reduced his him down to captain. >> oliver: race riots in a "time magazine" article had potentially grave consequences for the tuskegee airmen. colonel davis' wife condemned the coverage of tuskegee airmen. it has strong one of the strongest pillars up holding ne groes' morale. >> testimony was bolste

you were i believe the wingman for colonel benjamin davis? >> i flew with him for most of the time when he flew. >> what was it like? i just want to find out from you, what was it like during that time? of course affairsed a lot of ray -- you faced a lot of racism here in the united states but what were the men feeling when they went overseas representing our country and flying and fighting. >> i think most of them concentrated mostly on winning the war. and to do the best job that we could possibly do in those assignments that we were given. >> and your training was so specialized. i mean everyone knows that the tuskegee iremen -- i mean you set some records during world war ii. that other pilots couldn't compete or compare with. >> to some extent, yes. >> well, let me just say -- it is an honor to spend some time with you. >> thank you. >> colonel friend thank you again. we owe them a debt of love and gratitude. i'm delighted to be with you. >> thank you. that was too much. >> thank you for being with us. come back and visit us at 5:00. hav

his son benjamin davis jr. would become the commander of the 332nd fighter group, one of the most experienced and successful of the squadron formed by the tuskegee airmen. you know the story of your smaller, a black best man on the ship called the west virginia in piedmont west virginia during program were on december 7th he had meant a 50 caliber machine gun and shot down four japanese planes. his terrorism went and reward until the pittsburgh courier lobby for his recognition because of his race the navy bought until roseau did it president roosevelt ordered that he received a medal for his heroism. on may 27, 1942, the admiral awarded him the navy cross. most of our understanding of the world war ii comes from hollywood. yet how many of us know that the marine corps first accepted black men in 1942 and with several major films available to us, which we have all seen on the june 6, 1944 invasion of normandy in france in the annual commemoration of that battle how many of us know that black soldiers landed on

wound up in the hands of the unbelievable secretary of war benjamin and not much more efficient at this kind of thing superior jefferson davis. and without going into the merits of the case from those people's perspective, there are two points i want to make for you. number one, that mute any was more broadly based than is generally known, number one. number two, it seems to be a beautiful illustration of his complete lack of standing before the valley campaign. number one, it is well-known that william w.loring, of no particular talent. he was imbedded tolliver who owed by the same denomination for his net merits. i've always b hindsight after the war when jackson had become absolutely legendary. he had been his sworn enemy wrote a whole chapter hemming jackson's glory. the reflective glow of the hero now to whom he had been so opposed during the war. in addition to them, everybody knows about loring and tolliver. in addition to them the original document sent off had the signatures of if not every, virtually every field officer of all the regimens under them. the very first one on that list, if it matters, the first one ph