Lt col lee archer biography books
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Lee Archer
While flying with the 302nd Fighter Squadron as a fighter pilot, Lee Archer was given the nickname “Buddy”. Archer flew 169 combat missions in the European Theatre of World War II, flying the Bell P-39 Airacobra, Republic P-47 Thunderbolt and North American P-51 Mustang fighter aircraft. Flying a P-51C fighter with the distinctive red tail of the 332nd Fighter Group, he scored his first victory, a Messerschmitt Bf 109 on July 18, 1944, over Memmingen, Germany.
Archer is best remembered for his exploits of October 12, 1944. In the midst of a furious series of dogfights over German-occupied Hungary that lasted only about 10 minutes, he shot down three Messerschmitt Bf 109s over Lake Balaton, Hungary.
Archer was one of only four Tuskegee Airmen to have earned three aerial victories in a single day of combat: Joseph Elsberry, Clarence Lester, and Harry Stewart, Jr. For this action, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Archer remained in the armed forces for a ca
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Profiles of Tuskegee Airmen: Lee Archer
Tuskegee Airmen pilot and notable record holder Lee Archer was born September 6, 1919 in Yonkers, New York and raised in Harlem. He was a graduate of New York University before he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in November of 1941.
Archer had aspirations of becoming a pilot, but at the time of his enlistment flight training had not yet opened to qualified black service members. Instead, he received training as a telegrapher and field network communications specialist and assigned to a post in Georgia. Then in December of 1942, Archer was accepted into the new aviation cadet training for black Americans at Tuskegee Army Airfield.
Archer earned wings on July 28, 1943 as part of class 43-G-SE with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. He graduated first in his class. He was assigned to the 332nd Fighter Group of the 302nd Fighter eskader, who would later become known as the famed Tuskegee Airmen.
While serving in Italy durin
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Lee Archer (pilot)
Tuskegee Airman fighter Ace (1919–2010)
For other people named Lee Archer, see Lee Archer (disambiguation).
Lee Andrew Archer, Jr. (September 6, 1919 – January 27, 2010) was an Americanfighter Ace in the 332nd Fighter Group, commonly known as the Tuskegee Airmen, during World War II. He was one of the first African American military aviators in the United States Army Air Corps, the United States Army Air Forces and later the United States Air Force, eventually earning the rank of lieutenant colonel.
During World War II, Archer flew 169 combat missions, including bomber escort, reconnaissance and ground attack. Archer claimed and was credited with five enemy fighter aircraft shot down making him an Ace.[3]
Archer was one of only four Tuskegee Airmen to have earned three aerial victories in a single day of combat: Joseph Elsberry, Clarence Lester, and Harry T. Stewart Jr.[4][5]
Early life
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