RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) - Many movies goers in Central Virginia were excited Friday after watching the new movie "Red Tails."
Many said they had heard of the Tuskegee Airmen, but did not know the complete story behind the African American Army unit. And the movie sets out to disprove myths and set the record straight.
“The American Military has a long history with African American's and we sort of down played it and now this movies coming out and a lot of people are going to be educated,” said David Baugh, the son of a Tuskegee Airman.
Baugh, along with others, are promoting the movie which many say is a film everyone should see.
“It’s not just black history, it is American history, and every young kid in this country should know exactly what African Americans did back during World War II,” said retired Colonel Porcher Taylor, a member of the Tuskegee Airmen Association.
While there is some controversy surrounding getting the movie made and promoted, many hope movie lovers will see past racial lines, and go for the thrill of seeing what some say, is a great movie.
"It told an untold story, that’s way over due, it was done well, it was done tastefully it was done truthfully,”said Terry Williams, who saw the film Friday.
"The history that it portrayed, the people that it portrayed, it was a lot of great African American Actors in the movie, I thought it was a very good movie,” said Michael Bournique.
For Trent Lofton and his mother Georgia, going to see the movie was a way to honor his uncle, and her brother, Charles Stevens, a Tuskegee Airmen killed in 1945.
“Today is an extremely important day for everybody, just to come out and support this movie. Not only for the historical aspect of what the Tuskegee Airmen did, but just in general," said Lofton.
