Members of the 477th Fighter Group pause to pose with several of the original Tuskegee Airmen during the 38th Annual National Convention.

Members of the 477th Fighter Group pause to pose with several of the original Tuskegee Airmen during the 38th Annual National Convention. The 477th FG and its 302nd Fighter Squadron trace their unit histories back to the courageous original Tuskegee Airmen. During World War II, the 302nd FS was part of the 332nd Fighter Group, also known as 'The Redtails,' the famous all-Black unit that fought both American prejudice and Nazi militarism. The 477th Fighter Group is also connected to another heroic Tuskegee Airmen unit, the 477th Bombardment Group that was activated in 1944. The 477th BG members trained and were ready to deploy just as the war ended. The 302nd was reactivated as part of the 477th FG in 2007 when the group became the Air Force Reserve Command's first F-22 Raptor unit. Several of the original 302nd FS and the 477th BG, including retired Col. Charles McGee, retired Lt. Col. James Warren and other original Tuskegee Airmen, attended the 2007 reactivation ceremony, linking their incredible heroism and courage during WWII with the 477th FG?s exciting future. (Air Force Photo / Maj. Cary McPartlin)