On Thursday January 20th CBS News ran a story that 73 years ago an “all Black group of military pilots won the first Top Gun Competition but weren’t recognized” for their achievement. Not only that, their trophy for winning the competition was put in storage. The Air Force found the trophy in storage in 2005 and put it back on display and is now giving that group of Tuskegee pilots the recognition they deserved in 1949.

The Tuskegee team from the 332nd Fighter Group at Lockbourne Air Force Base that won the competition was led by the late Alva Temple, a native of Carrollton, Alabama, who moved to Columbus after his Air Force career. That competition in 1949 was the first Air Force National Gunnery (Top Gun) Meet at Las Vegas.

I recall Lt. Col. Alva Temple (USAF ret.) as the owner of a Gulf service station on Highway 69, just below its intersection with Yorkville Road. Until a few years ago I did not realize he had been a Tuskegee “Red Tail” Pilot during World War II who had flown 120 combat missions. He was a true American hero.

During World War II he was Lieut. then Capt. Alva Temple, a Red-Tailed P-40 and later P-51 Mustang fighter pilot of the famed Tuskegee Airmen. His first combat experience was flying close air support for the U.S. Fifth Army in Italy. The missions consisted of dive bombing and strafing German troops slowing the American advance through Italy. Encountering heavy German anti-aircraft fire, Temple’s plane was often damaged, but he always made it home.

An example of the skill and bravery of Lieut. Temple is found in Charles Francis’ book “The Tuskegee Airmen.” Describing an armed reconnaissance mission flown by pilots of the 99th Fighter Squadron on May 26, 1944, Francis wrote: “A third pilot, Lieut. Alva Temple, had his rudder shot out, elevators practically shot off and large holes ripped in his fuselage. In spite of these damages, Temple landed his plane safely at the base.”

In an interview with The Commercial Dispatch, Temple once commented: “I remember flying a mission at Anzio Beach. I had to dive bomb and it was real hot there because the Germans gave us a lot of opposition. We would come in at pretty low altitudes to drop our bombs. There were times when we could feel the concussion from the bombs we dropped.”

The bravery and skill of the Tuskegee Airmen flying P-40 fighters with red painted tails impressed both American and British commanders on the ground. After one period of heavy combat over the beachhead at Anzio, U.S. General “Hap” Arnold officially commended the 99th saying: “The results of the 99th Fighter Squadron during the past two weeks, particularly since the Nettuno (near Anzio) landing, are very commendable. My best wishes for their continued success.”

In July 1944, the 99th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group continued to fly out of a base in Italy. They were extensively used as fighter escorts for B-24 and B-17 bombers penetrating deep into Germany and German occupied territory. They also had their older P-40 fighters replaced with the far better P-51 Mustangs.

The 332nd became known for losing far fewer escorted bombers to German fighters than other American Fighter Groups. The American bomber crews referred to all of the fighters that escorted and protected them as the “Little Friends.” As a result of the success of the 332nd Fighter Group, including the 99th Fighter Squadron in escorting and protecting a 15th Air Force bomber force on a 1600-mile bombing mission to Berlin, the group was awarded a Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation.

By the end of the war, Col. Temple had flown combat missions over Italy, Germany, Yugoslavia, Hungary and Romania. He remained in the Air Force and in 1949 was selected to lead a four man team from the 332nd Fighter Group entered in the Air Force’s first Weapon’s Meet (Top Gun competition). The competition was held at Nellis Air Force base between the Air Force’s top three scoring fighter groups.

Two trophies would be presented, best team score and best individual score. There were six missions to be flown and scored. After five missions Capt. Temple had the high individual score as did the Tuskegee pilots as a team. The last mission was panel strafing. In the individual competition Capt. Temple was “aced out” when one of his competitors aborted his mission and was allowed to get a new plane, a new target, and more ammunition and then “clobbered the target,” winning individual honors over Temple. The 332nd team did win the overall trophy even though they had been flying the “obsolete P-47 Thunderbolt while their competitors were flying P-51 Mustangs and F-82 Twin Mustangs.”

The yearly almanac of the Air Force Association highlights the winners of Air Force weapons meets. From 1949 to 1995 the winner of the 1949 competition was listed as unknown. In 1995 a correction was finally made showing the 332nd as 1949 winners. The 332nd’s trophy was put in storage after the meet ended in 1949 and was not located and put on display until 2005.

The recent news related to the Tuskegee Airmen and that first Top Gun Competition. Seventy-three years after winning it a plaque honoring their achievement was being placed at Nellis Air Force Base.

In spite of the outstanding combat record of the Tuskegee Airmen they found discriminatory treatment and segregated facilities on most Army Air Force base. One of the most significant events was at Freeman Field in Indiana in May 1945. The all-Black 477th Bomb Group was stationed there and found almost all of the nearby town’s stores refused service to Black soldiers.

On base to circumvent Army Air Force regulations that officer’s clubs be open to all officers the Freeman officer’s club was designated for instructor officers only. A second officer’s club was opened for training officers only. All the white officers were considered instructors and all Black officers were considered trainees, though 20 of the Black officers had combat experience and out ranked many of the white officers.

Officers of the 477th attempted to integrate the white club but were blocked. The base commander then ordered all Black officers to sign a statement that they understood and would follow base regulations concerning officer’s clubs. One hundred one Black officers refused to sign and were arrested for failure to follow a direct order. Charges were eventually dropped against them, but three Black officers were court-martialed for pushing a white officer who had blocked the officer’s club door when they tried to enter. Of the three, two were found not guilty. One was convicted and the prosecutor recommended death. The court fined him $150.

Another Tuskegee Airman associated with Columbus was Lieut. Charles E Francis who began his service with the 65th Aviation Squadron at Columbus Army Air Field and then served with the Tuskegee Airmen. In 1955 he wrote The Tuskegee Airmen. It was the book that brought the service of the Tuskegee Airmen to the public’s attention.

There is also the late Col. Lawrence E. Roberts who was a Tuskegee Airman. Though not from here, the name should ring a bell for Bulldog fans as his grandson who was named after him starred in basketball at Mississippi State a few years ago.

A good account of the first Top Gun competition may be found in “Tuskegee Airman Compete, win 1st ever weapons meet, receive recognition 46 years later” by Staff Sgt. William P Coleman, 99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs, August 7, 2012.

Rufus Ward is a local historian.

Rufus Ward is a Columbus native a local historian. E-mail your questions about local history to Rufus at [email protected].

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