Tuskegee Airmen GI Joe

Submitted by:

Location:

In 1996, toymaker Hasbro produced two Tuskegee Airmen-themed GI Joe action figures. One represented the fighter pilots of the 332nd Fighter Group, with a story of Tuskegee Airman Charles Hall, the first black military pilot to shoot down an enemy aircraft. The other action figure represents the bomber pilots of the 447th Bombardment Group. These Tuskegee Airmen were trained and qualified pilots, navigators, bombardiers and their support crews, but the war ended before they were deployed to the Pacific Theater. Learn more about all the units of the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II.

Of interest, the information included on the inside flap of the package contains the well-circulated myth that the Tuskegee Airmen never lost a bomber that they were assigned to protect. The Airmen did in fact lose bombers on their escort missions, but they lost significantly less than other fighter groups at the time. Read more about the research and history behind this myth.