2nd Lt. Walter P. Manning, a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, was born OnThis Day in 1920.
2nd Lt. Walter P. Manning, a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, was born OnThis Day in 1920. Manning’s aspiration to serve in the armed forces was strong, but it almost did not happen. He initially tried to enlist in 1942 but was rejected because of a hammertoe. Determined, he used his savings to have surgery to repair his toe. In 1943, he enlisted in the Army Air Force, graduating a year later. Manning was assigned to the 301st Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group as a 2nd Lieutenant pilot. He would fly a total of 50 missions during the war. Unbeknownst to him, Manning would fly his last mission on Easter morning, April 1, 1945. Manning and other Tuskegee Airmen were involved in a dogfight with Nazi planes over the Danube River. The seven airmen flying that day shot down 12 German planes. Unfortunately, the Luftwaffe shot down three of the Tuskegee Airmen’s planes. One of those planes was Mannings, which was damaged so severely that he had to bail out the aircraft. He parachut...