World War II Honoree

Lee A. Archer, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Yonkers, New York

Honored By

Charles Henry Atkinson

Relationship

Vietnam Veteran

IN EARLY 1941, SENSING WAR WAS IMMINENT FOR THE U.S., HE APPLIED FOR PILOT TRAINING IN THE U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS. ALTHOUGH HE PASSED THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS, HE WAS REFUSED APPOINTMENT BECAUSE GOVERNMENT POLICY DID NOT ALLOW BLACK CITIZENS TO SERVE IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS. DISAPPOINTED, BUT DETERMINED TO CONTRIBUTE, HE LEFT SCHOOL AND ENLISTED IN THE ARMY. IN MAY 1942, WHILE AN INSTRUCTOR AT CAMP WHEELER, GEORGIA HE BECAME AWARE THE ARMY AIR FORCE WAS ACCEPTING BLACK CANDIDATES FOR PILOT TRAINING UNDER THE 'TUSKEGEE EXPERIMENT' AND IMMEDIATELY APPLIED. GRADUATING FIRST IN HIS CLASS IN 1943, HE EARNED HIS WINGS AND WAS COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 302ND FIGHTER SQUADRON OF THE 332ND FIGHTER GROUP FLYING THE CURTIS P-40 WARHAWK. IN JANUARY 1944, AFTER TRAINING IN THE BELL P-39 AIRACOBRA, THE 332ND FIGHTER GROUP WAS TRANSFERRED TO ITALY WHERE HE FLEW CONVOY ESCORT, SCRAMBLES, RECONNAISSANCE AND STRAFING MISSIONS TO COVER ALLIED FORCES PINNED DOWN ON THE BEACHES OF ANZIO. IN EARLY MARCH HIS FIGHTER GROUP WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE 306TH FIGHTER WING. CONVERTING TO THE REPUBLIC P-47 THUNDERBOLT AND MOVING TO RAMITELLI AIR BASE, ITALY HE FLEW COVER AND ESCORT FOR NUMEROUS LONG-RANGE BOMBER MISSIONS, AS WELL AS STRAFING MISSIONS AGAINST ENEMY LANDING ZONES AND TROOPS ON THE MARCH. FINALLY, AS ONE OF THE 'RED-TAILED ANGELS' FLYING THE NORTH AMERICAN P-51 MUSTANG, HE FLEW 169 COMBAT MISSIONS OVER MORE THAN 11 COUNTRIES, SCORING AT LEAST 5 AERIAL VICTORIES. HE RETURNED TO THE U.S. WITH AN ASSIGNMENT TO TUSKEGEE ARMY AIR FIELD AS CHIEF OF THE INSTRUMENT INSTRUCTOR SCHOOL.