Gen. Charles McGee autographed 332nd Fighter Group Tuskegee Airmen P-51 print!

Description

"RETURN OF THE REDTAILS"
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a fine art print by MATT HALL
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September 12, 1944. . . . low over Northern Italy, the pilots of the 332nd Fighter Group shepherd home a wounded B-24 of the 455th Bomb Group after a bombing raid on the Me-262 test airfield at Lechfeld, Germany.
The men of the 332nd, the first African American combat pilots, would be known as the "Tuskegee Airmen." But, in the sky, they were simply called the "Red Tails."
On this day, the Red Tails will return to their base at Ramitelli. To them, this escort was just another day's work. But, to the bomber crew below, they were the difference between life and death.
OVERALL PRINT SIZE:
31" x 19"
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EDITION:
VICTORY EDITION
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VETERAN SIGNERS:
FOUR
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SHIPS ROLLED IN A TUBE & INSURED
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** An 8 signature Artist Proof Edition of this print is also available in our ebay store **
This print is numbered from a limited-edition of 300 Victory Edition prints, includes a certificate of authenticity, and is hand-signed by artist Matt Hall along with veteran heroes:
Brigadier General
CHARLES MCGEE
(depicted flying "Kitten"):
Charles McGee graduated as part of Tuskegee Army Air Field Class 43-F in 1943. Stationed in Italy with the 302nd Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group, he flew combat in the P-39, P-47, and P-51. McGee flew a total of 136 combat missions in WWII and shot down a FW-190.
McGee remained on active duty for 30 years, flying combat in both the Korean and Vietnam wars. He has flown more than 6,100 total hours and holds the record for the highest three-war total of fighter combat missions of any pilot in the U.S. Air Force history. In his remarkable military career, he earned the Legion of Merit with Cluster, three Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Bronze Star and the Air Medal with 25 Oak Leaf clusters!
Lt. Col. LEO GRAY
:
Leo Gray graduated from the Tuskegee Army Airfield and was soon stationed in Italy as a fighter pilot in the 100th Fighter Squdron, 332nd Fighter Group. Gray flew 15 combat missions in P-51s. One of Gray's most memorable combat moments was encountering two Me 262 jets only to have them fly off upon seeing he and his wingman drop their wing tanks in anticipation of battle.
He remained in the USAF Reserves until 1984 retiring as a Lt. Colonel. During his 41 years of military service, Gray earned the Air Medal with Oak Leaf cluster, the Presidential Unit Citation, and the Mediterranean Theatre of Operation ribbon with three battle stars.
Lt. Col. JOHN WHITLEY
:
John Whitley joined the National Guard in 1938 and was called to active duty with the 30th Infantry Division in 1940. He requested flying duty, and was transferred to flight training in 1942. Upon graduation, John accumulated flight time as an instructor pilot for 10 months before volunteering to fly B-24s. In August 1944, John received a brand new B-24J and made the flight to Foggia Airfield, Italy, where he joined up with the 758th BS, 459th BG, 15th AF. Because of his flight experience, John was selected to fly as group flight leader on most of his 35 combat missions. After the war, John remained in the military, flying C-54s during the Berlin Airlift and working Air Traffic Control assignments. John retired in 1962 at the rank of Lt. Col.
+ 1 other distinguished WWII veteran signer
!
PHOTO DESCRIPTIONS:
Photo 1: Full image example of the "Return of the Redtails" Victory Edition
Photo 2: Brig. General Charles McGee signing the "Return of the Redtails" prints
Photo 3: Lt. Col. Leo Gray signing the "Return of the Redtails" prints
Photo 4: Lt. Col. John Whitley signing the "Return of the Redtails" prints
Photo 5: Close up of lead P-51 "Kitten" flown by Brig. Gen. Charles McGee (signer on this Victory Edition)
Photo 6:
Framing example of "Return of the Redtails"
** Signatures on prints will vary in placement and size due to their hand signed nature
WHY CHOOSE VALOR STUDIOS?
EXPERIENCE
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Since 1999 we've been creating the world's finest hand-autographed military art and collectibles. We are the only art publisher to conduct signings with Major Dick Winters and Captain Ron Speirs, and we’ve had the honor of working with former Presidents Bush ’41 and Bush ’43, General Hal Moore (
We Were Soldiers
), aviators Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler (
A Higher Call
), MOH recipient Tom Hudner (
Devotion
), and many more military heroes.
THE REAL DEAL
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Unlike so many autographs we see on EBay, ours are hand-signed and we have the photos to prove it. Combine that with a reputation of being America's leader in military art publishing and you can shop with complete peace of mind.
HONESTY
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Our veteran signers know the items they are autographing are for commercial purposes and they're paid generously for their efforts. We're proud to say that some of our veteran friends have been signing with us for 15+ years!
QUALITY
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All the products we sell on Ebay are new and guaranteed in mint condition. They are printed on museum grade papers with archival inks and with proper care (utilizing archival-grade storage methods) will last longer than any of us.
VALUE
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All our veteran signed items are limited in number. Once they sell out there is no creating more and as a result we often see our products appreciate in value.
FAMILY
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We're a small family business
based outside of Denver, we have
New York Times
bestselling author Adam Makos ("A Higher Call" & "Spearhead") as our company president, his brother Bryan is our art director, and their sister Erica, our sales manager.
MADE HERE
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Our fine art lithos, giclees, photos and books are all printed in America. By buying a Valor Studios product, you're not only supporting an American small business and our veteran signers, but also craftsmen across the country.