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^[[Original scanned September 27, 2002. Reduced print – for full-sized print, see Davis Box 163, Folder 1 Army Decorates 26 Fighter Pilots For Heroic Exploits [[image - 26 portrait photographs of pilots]] [[captions]] Capt. Hall 1st Lt. Carter 1st Lt. Bolling 1st Lt. Lawrence 1st Lt. Purnell 1st Lt. Lane 1st Lt. Campbell 1st Lt. Rayford 1st Lt. Knighten 1st Lt. Fuller 1st Lt. Wiley 1st Lt. Bruce Lt. Col. Davis Capt. Gen. Roberts 1st Lt. Jamison 2nd Lt. C. Roberts 1st Lt. Mitchell 1st Lt. Lawson 2nd Lt. Rogers 1st Lt. Clark 2nd Lt. Watson Capt. Custis 1st Lt. Smith 1st Lt. Ashley 1st Lt. Brooks 1st Lt. Dryden (Photos by U. S. Army Air Corps and Thomas W. Young) [[/captions]] [[image - American flag]] The Journal and Guide * - National Edition - * [[advertisement]] WARTIME SAVINGS Mean Peacetime Security! [[/advertisement]] VOL. XLIII NO. 37 NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1943 PRICE 10 CENTS Lt. Colonel Davis, Fliers' Commander, Enroute To U.S.; Heads Fighter Group Next Stop is European Mainland For Airmen; Guide's War Correspondent, Enroute to England On Special Assignment, Flies With Davis To Allied Headquarters in Algiers. By THOMAS W. YOUNG Journal and Guide War Correspondent (By Wireless and Cable. Copyright. Reproduction Prohibited) ALLIED AIR BASE, SICILY – The proof of a battlefront assignment gloriously and bravely done by the pioneering 99th Fighter Squadron of the Army Air Forces is at hand! Twenty six of the intrepid sky warriors, first in American history, have been decorated with the Air Medal, coveted badge of meritorious achievement against the enemy . . . and in the name of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the United States military genius who commands all United Nations forces in the North African-Mediterranean theater of war . . and by whom the might of the democracies was directed in crushing the Axis in North Africa, Pantelleria, and Sicily . . . and under whom the Allies even now are smashing up the Italian boot in the first successful invasion of Hitler's European fortress. Meanwhile Lt. Colonel Benjamin O. Davis Jr., the squadron's West Point Military Academy and Tuskegee Army Flying School-trained commanding officer, has been ordered to return to the United States and the First Army Air Force, to take command of the Negro fighter group training at Selfridge Field, Michigan, composed of three fighter squadrons, plus headquarters and service squadrons, and give them the benefit of his fine military background and combat experience. His transfer to this larger command is an indication of the confidence in his ability held by the Army high command. Lt. Colonel Davis immediately flew to Allied Force Headquarters in Algiers, North Africa, where he arrived on September 3 by Army Transport Command plane, enroute to the United States. The youthful high ranking officer was accompanied in the plane to Allied Force Headquarters by this correspondent, who is enroute to Great Britain, on leave of absence from Sicily authorized by Allied headquarters to permit him to visit American Negro units particularly in the British Isles, for two or more weeks and report on their activities. It was officially announced a few days ago that another sizeable colored combat force had safely arrived in England. (The Journal and Guide's correspondent, Thomas W. Young, the first of his race ever accredited to the U. S. Army Air Forces, was attached to the 99th Squadron before it left the United States last spring, made the trans-Atlantic trip to North Africa with them, and has been with the squadron every day during its fighting in North Africa, over Pantelleria, in Sicily, and other Mediterranean objectives, except for a 2,000 mile tour of the front lines while the fliers were getting final combat training and as the Allies were mopping up the Germans and Italians in Africa in May.) The medals themselves have not yet been received at the 99th Squadron's Sicilian base, but will be proudly worn as soon as delivered. SUCCEEDED BY CAPT. GEORGE ROBERTS [[pencil underlined]] Lt. Colonel Davis' transfer to command of the fighter group, [[/pencil underlined]] an aerial unit at least three times as large as his overseas command, comes as a result of his leadership of the first Negro aviation squadron ever in combat for the United States. It was under his skillful guidance, favorably commented upon by the highest ranking American and Allied officers, that the Ninety-ninth helped to subjugate Pantelleria and Sicily, and is now poised to join the first Air Forces units to be based on the European mainland, now that Italy proper has been invaded. He was succeeded in the leadership of the squadron by Captain George S. Roberts, operations officer, who became the commanding officer on September 2. (Continued on page 2) To England [[image - photograph of man in uniform holding camera]] [[caption]] U. S. War Correspondent Thomas W. Young of the Journal and Guide, who is on leave of absence from Sicily for a special assignment in England. He flew part of the way with Lt. Col. Benjamin O. Davis Jr., who was ordered to the United States. [[/caption]] ^[[Davis B005 F011 2shlof2]]
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