Here is a little history for individuals that are fans of the movies Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick.
The first Top Gun competition was held in 1949. The white pilots competed with the latest state of art aircraft while the African-American pilots were forced to compete with older obsolete planes. After 3 days of competition The Tuskegee Airmen team of : Captain Alva Temple, 1st Lieutenant Harry Stewart, 1st Lieutenant James Harvey, and 1st Lieutenant Halbert Alexander (alternate) were announced the winners.
There was dead silence in the room. Not one of their colleagues applauded this accomplishment. The victory was swept under the rug and the trophy was not seen by the public for 55 years. Introducing the real Top Guns.
"Top Gun Commander" - Captain Alva Temple | CAF RISE ABOVE
In May of 1949, one year after racial integration of the Armed Forces, four pilots took to the skies in P-47 Thunderbolts to compete in a first of its kind Air Force competition, the first ever USAF Gunnery Meet at the then Las Vegas Air Force Base. Even though their aerial adversary, the much...
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