Red Tails: Critical Review part II

Millions of Americans traumatized by implications of the film Red Tails

Most Americans are unaware of the real story of the air war over western Europe and Hollywood has helped maintained the official salience on the subject. As such, most Americans lack a critical understanding of WWII and are defenseless against Hollywood distortions of the truth. So the suggestion that airmen were used as the human baiting by Allied Air Command is very troubling.

Why would the writers and directors of Red Tails dare to used the misinformation of the trauma of the death of thousands of American airmen to emotionally jump start such a important film. Why has critical reviews like the New York Time, London TIMES and the Washington Post and the White House fail to rise concern this aspect of the film.

Over one hundred million Americans have either watched the trailer and or the film Red Tails and learned that some of the 60,000 shot down and 26,000 American airmen killed may have been needless lost. Thousands of proud American WWII fighter pilots families are being shamed for their grand fathers possible participation in this deadly practice.

Since the opening of Red Tails, the Military Channel has been remixing and distorting the story of General James Doolittle the leader of Allied Air Force in order to hide his central role in the use of bombers as human bait to lure German Luftwaffe fighters in to dogfights.

For many mostly white American families still suffering from the trauma of their family personal loses in the air war over western Europe, Red Tails is a start of a healing process, still not the answer.

The burning national question posed but not answered in the film Red Tail now playing across the country or the critical reviews, is why was a two star white generals in charge of Bomber Command in Washington forced to turn to the lowest element in USAAF Fighter Command, the Tuskegee Airmen's to get fighter escort protection from the German Luftwaffe fighters.

There were over six thousand operational US fighters plane in the air over western Europe, so why did the generals turn to the Negros. Was it true that white pilots put themselves before the protection of the bombers or were they following rules of engagement?

Red Tail gives a much needed first light for these who dare to get beyond the emotionalism of the film and ask the critical question why Allied bombers were abandoned by the escorting fighters and who allow the fighters to leave. Is there any truth to the idea suggested in Wikipedia Encyclopedia and the book: Piercing the Fog: Intelligence and Army Air Forces Operations in World War II that many bomber crew were used as bait to lure German fighters into dogfights? Why is Red Tails the first time Americans are hearing about this secret policy. Maybe your concern will drive you to go to Google.com and type in “bait bombers WWII” and do your own research.

The real Tuskegee Airmen's story is not just the African American struggle against racism within the USAAF, but the more important fight within Allied Bomber Command against Doolittle’s human bailing final solution to the threat of German Luftwaffe fighters. In the end, in part due to the Tuskegee Airmen's record, General Dwight Eisenhower ended the bailing policy by taking direct control of all Allied Air Forces.

The opening frame of the film Red Tail and it trailer shows American fighters that should be protecting the bombers, abandoning them to go after a small formation of German fighters. The main bomber group left unprotected is then brutally attacked by a much large group of German fighters. This was not a one time event but a practice repeated daily by fighter escort. The paradigm shaft in fighter escort protection policy caused by the outstanding 332nd escort record revealed in the film Red Tail had force a never before critical insight of the human side of the white American airmen suffering, do to General Doolittle’s human bailing final solution. The film clearly demonstrated how a tiny group of African Americans will gave their lives to save thousands of American airmen not just by fighting but changing escort policy.