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Machine guns. >> there was so much stuff going on. >> did you get shot at we did become conscious you needed to let them come up and see who you are. >> oliver: hoping to eliminate casualties, they painted their aircraft different colors. >> the nose was red first. >> do you remember whose idea it was? >> no, i don't. >> why the red tail? >> i think from a supply point of view, red paint. >> they became to be known the red tails and at what time another new airplane. >> with top speed 400 miles, p-51 mustang, earlier fighters couldn't stay with them on long missions, but the p-51 could. >> it ...

Bailed out. the fellow land had and was standing there. i came down. flew over him and knocked my wing, pulled up and which is what i thought being a fighter pilot was all about. >> oliver: on 12 october he strapped on a p-51 and lifted off. >> we were coming back from a big mission. i guess the germans had gotten tired of us flying over their country. they sent so many airplanes in the world all over the place. i remember thinking then, my big worry that i would get shot down but some idiot running in to me. i got free and came home. went through the system, they proved it. >> oliver: those t...

If i didn't they would kill me, 51 was a better aircraft. >> when they escort they a strong sense of survival. >> it was the point their services was necessity. >> oliver: they were save yorgs to the boys in the bombers, a fact the bomber boys never forgot. >> some of the other squadrons didn't like the idea of staying up with us pu but the tuskegee airmen they stayed up in formation like they were supposed to. >> we were coming home and out of the group by ourselves. we called for a fighter escort to go home with us. it happened to be tuskegee airmen that came us. real classy p-51 who brought...

One of my classmates roommates shipmates from my company, frank simmons, would be unlikely to be admitted to the naval academy to not for what these remarkable young americans achieved. by the end of their tour, in europe, they did not get to go to the japanese front by the end of the tour they flew over 15,000 combat missions, and they shot down 250 german aircraft and they didn't lose a single bomber they were escorting, a remarkable record. that "red tail," was something every bomber crew wanted it see as they launched their missions. >> perhaps an untold story about d-day a remarkable mome...

Lucas wanted to put people in a fighter plane, a p-51 and get the sense of what it was like to be 19 years old -- some of these guys, you know, had their civilian pilots license, some had never driven cars, what it was like being 19 and flying against the best air force at that time. so for george, it was a long time. i think honestly when i met you guys when i started working with you, i'd been working on this project for four years. it's been a long time coming, but when you see this film, visually what it represents, emotionally what it represents. it's an amazing piece of work. and it's re...