‘Mission Accomplished’ – Tuskegee Airmen recognized for 1949 Top Gun victory Published Jan. 13, 2022 By Airman 1st Class Zachary Rufus 57th Wing Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (AFNS) -- “We’re finally being recognized for something we accomplished 73 years ago,” said retired Lt. Col. James Harvey III, former fighter pilot with the 332nd Fighter Group, best known as the Tuskegee Airmen. In 1949, Harvey, alongside the 332nd FG from Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio, won the U.S. Air Force’s inaugural Fighter Gunnery Meet “Top Gun,” a worldwide gunnery competition where the best pilot teams in the U.S. Air Force came together to compete for the top spot. The Tuskegee Airmen were young African Americans, determined to be aviation pilots, who met with obstacles such as the widespread belief that Black people could not learn to fly or operate sophisticated aircraft. Shown is the 332nd Fighter Group’s commissioned plaque for winning the U.S. Air Force’s inaugural 1949 Fighter Gunnery Meet “Top Gun,” at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Jan. 10, 2022. Although the plaque was commissioned 73 years late, it will be displayed proudly at the U.S. Air Force Weapons School forever. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Zachary Rufus) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res The Top Gun team consisted of four members: Capt. Alva Temple, 1st Lt. James Harvey III, 1st Lt. Harry Stewart and 1st Lt. Halbert Alexander. The gunnery competition consisted of: aerial gunnery at 12,000 feet and 20,000 feet, skip bombing, rocket firing, panel strafing and dive bombing. Although the 332nd FG led the meet from start to finish, the official results for first place were recorded as “unknown” for nearly 46 years. Present-day, 73 years after the historic win, the American Association of Retired Persons’ Wish of a Lifetime organization met with Harvey to grant his “wish” – that his team be widely recognized. “We weren’t supposed to be able to fly aircraft, we weren’t supposed to be able to win this competition, but we did and we were the best,” Harvey said. On Jan. 11, Gen. Mark Kelly, commander of Air Combat Command, presided over the unveiling of a plaque commissioned to reaffirm the accomplishments of the 332nd FG’s win. “We stand on the shoulders of giants in this profession, and Lt. Col. Harvey is one of those giants,” Kelly said. Although the plaque is 73 years late, it will be displayed prominently at the U.S. Air Force Weapons School forever. Col. Scott Mills, 57th Operations Group commander, informs retired Lt. Col. James Harvey III, an original Tuskegee Airman, on the new and advanced capabilities of the F-35 Lightning II at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Jan. 10, 2022. During his visit to Nellis AFB, Harvey stopped at Bolt Aircraft Maintenance Unit to learn more about the F-35 and met with Airmen that maintain them. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Zachary Rufus) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res Retired Lt. Col. James Harvey III, an original Tuskegee Airman, admires a mural at the U.S. Air Force Demonstration Squadron “Thunderbirds” Museum at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Jan. 10, 2022. During his visit to Nellis AFB, Harvey visited the museum and was briefed on its mission and history. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Zachary Rufus) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res Jerry Burton, national president of the Tuskegee Airman Organization, retired Lt. Col. James Harvey III, an original Tuskegee Airman and Gen. Mark Kelly, commander of Air Combat Command, unveils the 332nd Fighter Group’s commissioned plaque during a ceremony at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Jan. 11, 2022. In 1949, Harvey and the 332nd FG won the U.S. Air Force’s inaugural Fighter Gunnery Meet “Top Gun,” a worldwide gunnery competition where the best pilot teams in the Air Force came together to compete for the top spot. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Zachary Rufus) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res “At the weapons school, our mission today is exactly what it was when Lt. Col. Harvey was here 73 years ago,” said Col. Daniel Lehoski, USAFWC commandant. “We take young officers and put them through the most rigorous training we can to make them ready for combat. We learned this from Lt. Col. Harvey and his generation and I can’t thank him enough for the example he set for the Air Force and the weapons school.” The Tuskegee Airmen blazed a path of excellence for the Air Force through their piloting expertise, determination to denounce racist beliefs and resiliency to overcome significant obstacles, which still motivates and inspires the diverse population of Airmen serving in the U.S. Air Force today. “Thank you, it’s been a long time coming, and it’s a step in the right direction,” Harvey said. “I can finally close the pages on this chapter and say, ‘mission accomplished.’”