Denton Adkinson, Director of "In Their Own Words: The Tuskegee Airmen," Talks About the Value of the New Film

In Their Own Words: The Tuskegee Airmen - The 75th Anniversary is a new movie that features 16 Tuskegee Airmen as they recall their incredible experiences through emotional interviews, rare photographs, archival footage and computer-generated recreations. Experience the tales and exploits of America's first African-American fighter pilots who, by flying the skies of the European Theater during World War II, broke racial barriers stateside. Watch as the Airmen remember being some of the first to begin the civil rights movement and living long enough to see the changes that would continue to resonate today. 

Fathom Events will commemorate the Tuskegee Airmen's 75th anniversary with a nationwide movie event in select U.S. movie theaters on March 29th! 

We are honored to catch up with Denton Adkinson, the Director of the film, for this exclusive interview. 

Hallels:  Thanks for doing this interview.  Who were the Tuskegee Airmen? 

The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African American fighter pilots in the US military who flew during World War Two.  The prevailing idea at the time, based on a report put out by the Army War College in 1925, was that African American's should be limited to support roles in combat. 

The men were given the opportunity in January 1941, when the Army Air Corps announced it would create the 99th Pursuit Squadron, a squadron of composed of African American pilots and support personnel. 

In 1944, the 332nd Fighter Group was created and assimilated the 99th, making it composed of the 99th, 100th, 301st and 302nd fighter squadrons and entirely African American.  They flew mostly escort missions and were known to bomber crews by their distinctive red tails.  They were referred to as the "red tailed angels" because they had one of the best records while escorting bombers.  At the end of World War Two, they lost the fewest bombers of any of the fighter groups of the 15th Air Force. 

Using their combat record and that of other African American units, President Harry Truman issued an executive order in June 1948 that effectively desegregated the US military.   

Hallels:  Why did you choose to work on this movie?  

The project literally walked in the door for us.  My business partner and I were sitting in a local Huddle House, after working on two music video shoots, and were talking about the direction of our company.  Bryan said his wife thought we should do a documentary, and we tossed around possible ideas.  Nothing really came to us, so we decided to pray for direction, as our faith is extremely important to both of us and we constantly pray for God's direction for our company.  We always say God works in mysterious ways, and when we said "amen" the door opened and in walked an older gentleman wearing a Tuskegee Airmen hat, jacket and t-shirt.   

Being that we had just prayed for direction about a documentary subject, we talked with the gentleman, who while not an Airman himself was affiliated with the organization that works to preserve the Airmen's legacy, Tuskegee Airmen, Incorporated.  He helped us set up the first interview, and that's where we fell in love with the story and wanted to put everything we had into it.  We self-financed the film, and spent roughly a year traveling when we could to interview Tuskegee Airmen. 

Hallels:  In the movie, 16 of these airmen were interviewed.  Was there a particular interview that really resonated with you deeply?  If so, tell us more. 

There were two interviews that really resonated with me, one was our first interview with Lt. Col. Charles Dryden, and the second was Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson.   

Col. Dryden the first Airmen we interviewed.  We didn't know too much about the Airmen going in, but had written a list of questions based on what we knew.  When answering, Col. Dryden gave us so much more with each question, and it really opened our eyes to the commitment the guys had to a country that didn't treat them as full citizens.  Col. Dryden told us personal stories of the racism he encountered when going to the south to train at Tuskegee, but also of the sense of pride he and his fellow Airmen felt knowing they were doing something that would help to change the country.  We left out of the interview with a dedication to telling this story to the absolute best of our ability.  We even made a promise to him, that we would do everything we could to keep the story of the Tuskegee Airmen alive. 

The second interview to resonate with me was that of Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson.  Col. Jefferson was flying his 19th mission when his plane was hit and he had to bail out.  He ended up landing near the guys who shot him down and was taken as a prisoner of war.  He stayed in Germany, in his words, as a "guest of the Third Reich for nine months."  When his camp was liberated, he heard rumors of the concentration camp Dachau and went to see the atrocities for himself.  He described what he saw in detail, sights that still haunt him to today. 

When his ship arrived in New York harbor, he was overwhelmed with emotion, as he was back home safely, had survived the POW camp, and felt he would be celebrated as a war hero.  Stepping off the ship, he was horribly welcomed back to racist 1940s America by a white soldier on the gang plank saying "whites to the right and n----rs to the left." 

These interviews stick out with me because both men shared openly and were quite emotional while sharing.  Both brought such a personal contribution to the overall story of the Tuskegee Airmen. 

Hallels:  In what ways were the Tuskegee Airmen connected with the civil rights movement?  And how did they help us in appreciating racial equality? 

The Tuskegee Airmen can be called the trailblazers of the civil rights movement.  While they fought fascism overseas in Europe, they fought racism on their own home front.  They kept their heads down and knew their contributions would lead to the ultimate victory on both fronts.  They succeeded in combat, voiding the War College Study of 1925, which opened the doors to a new generation of African American men and women to pursue careers as officers in the military. 

Another aspect of their story that contributes to the Civil Rights Movement is that of the 477th Bombardment Group and the Freeman Field Mutiny.  In Tuskegee, AL, pilots were trained as both single engine and twin engine pilots.  The twin engine pilots learned to fly B-25s for future use in the invasion of Japan.  In 1945, their training was moved to Freeman Field in Indiana.  The Freeman Field Mutiny occurred in April 1945, when the Commanding Officer segregated the Officer's Club and created a second club for the African American officers.  In an act of defiance, about 60 men of the 477th attempted to enter the original Officer's Club, club #1 in one night.  They were all told to return to their barracks, and eventually the club was closed for the night.  The next night, even more of the men came to the club, all dressed in their uniforms.  The next day, the Commanding Officer issued an order that each man of the 477th had to sign, acknowledging Officer's Club #1 was "White's Only" and that they would use the newly built Officer's Club #2.  There were 101 officers who refused to sign the order, putting their careers on the line.  The Freeman Field Mutiny was one of the first large scale acts of civil unrest to protest racism, and I believe it served as a catalyst for others to do the same towards racism. 

Hallels:  Why should our readers go watch this movie?  What values are conveyed in this movie? 

The Tuskegee Airmen story is one of heroism and triumph of the human spirit in the face of adversity.  People who've seen our documentary say it is inspiring to listen to the men, as they learn more about an important aspect of history and see firsthand how far determination can take you.  The film is a full emotional experience.  You will laugh, cry, feel despair and hope listening to the stories shared by the Airmen we interviewed.  A common thread amongst the stories is the wisdom of the men that is freely given to the viewer. 

Hallels:  What's next for you?  Are you already thinking of your next project?  

We are in the works on a few new documentary projects. 

One is a pseudo-follow up to the Tuskegee Airmen story that follows Chief Alfred Anderson's granddaughter as she inherits his estate and his legacy.  While she knew him as "Grandpa," history knows him as "the father of black aviation."  It's a journey of discovery for her, while sharing a bit about Chief Anderson's life along the way. 

Chief Anderson was the chief flight instructor of the Basic Phase of training for the Tuskegee Airmen.  He was the pilot who flew Eleanor Roosevelt on her famous flight in Tuskegee that helped bring a great deal of support to the program. 

Hallels:  I notice that the movie was a one night event on March 29th.  Will the movie be available for a longer stretch of time?  And will it be released on DVD soon? 

It is in theaters for only one night across the nation through Fathom Events to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the flight of Chief Anderson and Eleanor Roosevelt.  After the 29th, it will play on AFN, the Armed Forces Network, across the globe to deployed military personnel and their families.  After that, it will play on syndicated television later in the year.   

Our ultimate goal is to get the documentary included with Black History Month curriculum in schools across the country.  We feel it would perfectly fit the format for schools and it would teach and inspire new students every year.  As I said earlier, we made a promise to keep the Airmen's story alive, and are always working to keep our promise! 

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