Alexander Jefferson Tuskegee Airman POW

Tuskegee Airman Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson will tell what it was like to fly one of America’s best fighter plane’s the P-51 Mustang.  He also speaks of what the Army was like for  African-Americans in the 1940s .  Alex was shot down on his 12 combat mission over Toulon France in August 1944.  He went to Stalag Luft #3 in Poland which the 1963 movie the “Great Escape” with Steve McQueen was about.  The  Great Escape took place in March of 1944 so Alex was not there during the escape but tells about all of the tunnels and home made radio’s that some of the men had while he was there.   Mr. Jefferson was freed in Southern Germany by a place that he had never heard of  called “Dachau Death Camp”  he kept hearing that it was a horrible place but, wanted to know what it was so the same day he was freed he “borrowed” a Jeep and drove to Dachau.  He will tell you what it was like.  It was so horrific that he only stayed a hour or so because that is all he could take of the smells and sights that he saw the awful day.

Where: Baldwin Public Library Birmingham Mi.