The Airmen’s Water Front Plaque (332nd Fighter Group- Tuskegee Airmen, Ramitelli Air Base)
Details:
On a small wall by the beach entryway.
An inscribed plaque mounted on a seaside wall.
The memorial remembers Air Forces that operated out of several Air bases in the area surrounding Campomarino. Of the bases, the United States 332nd Fighter Group “Red Tails”, also know as the Tuskegee Airmen, flew form the base located at Ramitelli.
From the Tuskegee Airmen Website (ttps://cafriseabove.org):
Memorial to the Tuskegee Airmen who served in Ramitelli, Italy:
From Located in the seaside community of Campomarino, Italy, this memorial is dedicated the Allied aviators of World War II that helped liberate Italy from fascism and bring about an end to the War in Europe. Because the Tuskegee Airmen were segregated from other service members, even during combat, the 332nd Fighter Group flew out of Ramitelli Air Field, which was a temporary field located in Campomarino.
From the Tuskegee University about the 332nd Fighter Group:
-Tuskegee University was awarded the U.S. Army Air Corps contract to help train America's first Black military aviators because it had already invested in the development of an airfield, had a proven civilian pilot training program.
-The all-Black, 332nd Fighter Group consisted originally of four fighter squadrons, the 99th, the 100th, the 301st and the 302nd.
-From 1941-1946, some 1,000 Black pilots were trained at Tuskegee.
-The Airmen's success in escorting bombers during World War II – having one of the lowest loss records of all the escort fighter groups.
-The 99th Squadron distinguished itself by being awarded two Presidential Unit Citations (June-July 1943 and May 1944) for outstanding tactical air support and aerial combat in the 12th Air Force in Italy.
-The 332nd Fighter group was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for its' longest bomber escort mission to Berlin, Germany on March 24, 1945.
Monument Text:
The text on the monument is written in English and Italian and the English reads:
The Airmen’s Water Front
To the Airmen of the
Regia Aeronautica,
Balkan, Desert, and the 15th
Air Force, who flew their missions
In Europe during WWII (1943-45)
From the airfields of Biferno, Canne,
Madne, Nouve, and
Ramitelli
Commemorates:
People:
Units:
100th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group
12th Air Force
15th Air Force
301st Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group
302nd Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group
332nd Fighter Group
99th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group
Balkan Air Force (BAF)
Tuskegee Airmen
United States Air Force
Wars:
WWII
Other images :