Lt. Colonel William Holloman Tuskegee Airman P-51 Mustang Combat Pilot WWII

This is believed to be the final air show interview with a true American Hero.
It is our privilege at Planes of Fame Air Museum to be able to
present it here.

Bill, you made me promise you I would send this to you
when it was finished...here it is.

Lt. Colonel William "Wild Bill" Holloman, a Tuskegee Airman, served his country on active duty as one of the United States' first African-American combat pilots in World War II. Col. Holloman flew a single-seat P-51 Mustang fighter-bomber from a base in Italy to targets in Germany, Austria and Eastern European countries. He flew 19 combat missions, including escorting bombers and hitting enemy targets. The "Red Tails" as they became known as due to the highly visible red tails on their aircraft, were the only squadrons to successfully defend every bomber aircraft they ever escorted. This impressive record has not been equaled in aviation combat history, and probably never will.

After World War II, Lt. Col. Holloman continued flying, dusting crops in South America and flying small commercial planes in Canada.

An Air Force reservist, he was called back to active duty during the Korean War,
where he became the Air Force's first black helicopter pilot. Colonel Holloman also served in Vietnam, where he switched to the Army.
He retired in 1972.

During the nearly four decades after he retired from active military service, he continued to serve his country in a different way: by teaching younger generations how war and aviation intersected in a way that helped end centuries of racial separation.

A founding member and first president of the Sam Bruce Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen Inc., Lt. Col. Holloman took the Tuskegee story to virtually anyone who would listen. Lt. Col. Holloman annually hosted panels at the Museum of Flight, spoke to young people about history and aviation, and traveled the country sharing his story.

Lt. Col. William H. Holloman III, passed away on June 11th, 2010.
He was 85.