The Red Tails of the 332nd Fighter Group escort a wounded B-24 in this Tuskegee Airmen autographed print by Matt Hall.

Print Size: 31" x 19"

All prints are sold unframed

Return of the Redtails
- ANOTHER DAY OF LIFE AND DEATH -
a fine art print by Matt Hall

September 12, 1944 . . . low over Northern Italy, the pilots of the 332nd Fighter Group shepherd home a wounded B-24 Liberator 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.

A PORTION OF EACH SALE BENEFITS
THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN ASSOCIATION!

* screen colors may vary from print colors

Only 200 prints, signed and numbered by artist
Matt Hall and 8 veterans including:

- "Red Tails" pilot Charles McGee (shown flying "Kitten")
- "Red Tails" pilot Roscoe Brown (shown flying "Bunnie")
- "Red Tails" pilots Leo Gray, George Hardy & Calvin Spann
- 15th Air Force B-24 pilot John Whitley
- Plus 2 other distinguished signers from our list below!

ALSO INCLUDES:
- Color COA with "History Behind the Art" story
- 15th Air Force pin, perfect for framing
- Photos of B.O. Davis, Jr. (CO of the 332nd FG)
& ground crew working on the P-51 "Bunnie"

All prints are sold unframed

INTERNATIONAL
$375 + $55 express airmail

USA: $375 + $20 SH
CO residents add 4% sales tax

Only 300 prints, signed and numbered by
artist Matt Hall & 4 veterans including:

- "Red Tails" pilot Charles McGee (shown flying "Kitten")
- "Red Tails" P-51 pilot Leo Gray
- 15th Air Force B-24 pilot John Whitley
- Plus another distinguished signer from our list below!

ALSO INCLUDES: Color COA with
"History Behind the Art" story

All prints are sold unframed

INTERNATIONAL
$245 + $55 express airmail

USA: $245 + $20 SH
CO residents add 4% sales tax

Only 200 prints, signed and numbered by
artist Matt Hall & the following veterans:

- "Red Tails" P-51 pilot Leo Gray
- "Red Tails" P-51 pilot Calvin Spann

ALSO INCLUDES: Color COA with
"History Behind the Art" story

All prints are sold unframed

INTERNATIONAL
$175 + $55 express airmail

USA: $175 + $20 SH
CO residents add 4% sales tax

Only 180 prints, signed and numbered by artist
Matt Hall & all 12 veterans including:

- "Red Tails" pilot Charles McGee (shown flying "Kitten")
- "Red Tails" pilot Roscoe Brown (shown flying "Bunnie")
- "Red Tails" P-51 pilot Marion Rodgers
- 15th Air Force B-24 pilots John Ferris & John Whitley
- Plus all other signers from our list below!

All prints are sold unframed

SOLD OUT

A Signer Proof edition of 100 prints, bearing assorted signatures, exists for print signers and helpers.
A Gallery Edition of 100 prints, signed by artist Matt Hall, will be available in the future.
A signed canvas giclee edition may be made available in the future.

LT. VERNON BINGHAM

Lt. Vernon Bingham deployed to North Africa in 1943 as a B-24 navigator with the 415th BS, 98th BG, the "Pyramiders." Bingham participated in Operation Tidal Wave, the low-level bombing raid on the Ploesti refineries. In November 1943, the 98th BG was moved to Italy where Bingham flew the remainder of 50 combat missions.

On one such mission, severe weather forced the aircraft in Bingham's flight to turn back, while he confidently navigated his plane through the poor conditions to destroy their objective. While over the target, Bingham's B-24 was hit by enemy fire, disabling two engines. Unable to gain altitude and only make right turns, Bingham convinced his pilot that he could navigate them home. Flying a series of clockwise-circles, Bingham's directions brought his B-24 to a friendly airfield. For his actions, Bingham received the Distinguished Flying Cross.

CAPT. ROSCOE BROWN

Roscoe Brown, Jr. joined the Air Corps shortly after graduation from Springfield College. Upon training at the Tuskegee facilities, he joined the 100th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group in Italy, which he would later command.

Brown, flying his P-51D "Bunnie," is credited as being one of the first 332nd FG pilots to shoot down a Luftwaffe Me 262 jet fighter aircraft during an air battle over Berlin. For his bravery he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal with eight Oak Leaf Clusters.

After his military service, he received his masters and doctorate degrees at NYU and has been director or chair of over 25 community organizations.

SSGT. HOWARD CASEY

In August 1944, Howard Casey joined the 15th AF in Italy as a B-24 ball turret gunner with the 761st BS, 460th BG. He flew 13 combat missions until his combat tour was cut short during a mission to Munich. There, Casey's B-24 received a direct hit from AA fire. The shell pierced the fuel tank and exploded above his B-24. Quickly loosing fuel, they turned back for Italy, passing over Switzerland where they were escorted to land by a Swiss Bf-109. The crew was interned for 6 months until being traded for German POWs in a repatriation deal. Casey returned to the states and was discharged in November 1945. He received the Air Medal, POW medal, and ETO medal with four battle stars. Returning to his home state of Michigan, Howard resumed a 40 year career working at General Motors.

SSGT. WILFRED DEFOUR

Wilfred DeFour joined the Air Corps in 1942. After basic training at Tuskegee Army Airfield, Wilfred was assigned to the 366th Air Service Squadron, 96th Air Service Group. Joining up with his fellow Tuskegee Airmen in Italy, Wilfred worked as an aircraft technician, providing field service to the aircraft of the 332nd FG at Ramitelli Airfield. Discharge in December 1945, Wilfred began a career of more than 30 years working at the NYC Post Office, retiring as a Superintendent. He then began a real estate company serving the Harlem community that he operates to this day.

MAJ. JOHN FERRIS

John Ferris deployed to Italy in January 1945 as a B-24 pilot with the 415th BS, 98th BG, 15th AF. Ferris completed 15 missions targeting oil refineries, ball bearing factories, and German fighter airfields. In April 1945, Ferris and his crew were transferred to Northern Italy where they completed their last 2 missions of the war flying with the 780th BS, 465th BG. Ferris has fond memories of the Tuskegee Airmen of the 332nd and recalls having the red tailed P-51s flying his wing on many of his 17 missions. After the war, Ferris remained in the Air Force Reserve until being called back to active duty to fly C-54s in Germany as part of the Berlin Airlift. He retired from the Air Force in 1967, at the rank of Major.

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. GEORGE HARDY

George Hardy graduated from Tuskegee Army Air Field in September 1944 and was assigned to the 99th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group, where and flew twenty-one combat missions over Germany. During the Korean War he flew 45 combat missions in B-29s and later in Vietnam flew 70 combat missions as a pilot of an AC-119K Gunship.

Hardy retired in November 1971 with the rank of Lt. Colonel. His decorations include: the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with eleven Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Commendation Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster.

COL. CHARLES MCGEE

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!

SGT. DABNEY MONTGOMERY

Dabney Montgomery entered into the Army Air Corps during World War II. He served as a ground crewman with the Tuskegee Airmen in Southern Italy from 1943 to 1945 and was awarded the WWII Victory Medal, a Service Award, the Honorable Service Medal, and the European/African/Middle Eastern Service Medal with two Bronze Stars. On March 29, 2007, Montgomery received the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor, presented by President George W. Bush to all original Tuskegee Airmen. Today, Montgomery is active in the Harlem community where he is a member of various community boards.

LT. COL. MARION RODGERS

Marion Rodgers joined the Army in 1942, serving with an Army Coast Artillery/Anti-Aircraft unit prior to being reassigned to Tuskegee Institute. Marion deployed to Italy in July 1944, joining the 99th FS at Ramitelli Airfield, where he flew 68 combat missions by war’s end. Marion went on to become the Commander of the 99th FS back in the states. After retiring from military service in 1965, Marion worked as Program Manager on the Apollo space program. He then returned to the Air Force for a second time, working as Chief of the communications branch at NORAD, before retiring again in 1983. In retirement, Marion has hosted the KKTV “Involvement” series and enjoys his hobby as an amateur radio operator.

LT. CALVIN SPANN

Calvin Spann received his wings at Tuskegee, graduating in Class 44G. Spann was sent to Italy as a replacement combat pilot and became a member of the 100th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group. Spann flew 26 combat missions before the end of the war in Europe. Spann remained in the Air Force Reserves until 1961 when he was honorably discharged. In May 2006 Spann received the degree, Doctor of Public Service from Tuskegee University.

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.

Each print is hand signed by original Tuskegee Airmen, immortalized in the upcoming George Lucas movie Red Tails! Click play on the video below to watch the Red Tails movie trailer.

Since Valor Studios began working with our newest artist, Matt Hall, in 2009, the top editions of his prints
have consistently sold out and now climb in secondary market value.

Most people will never re-sell their prints. They will pass them down through family. But there's nothing wrong
with knowing that your print is a commodity, one that other people want and that gains value every day.

Secure your copy of "Return of the Red Tails" today, before it joins the ranks of these sold out classics . . .

5. These yellow identification stripes, 15 inches wide, were exclusive to USAAF aircraft operating in the Mediterranean theatre of war.

6. This wounded B-24 is from the “Vulgar Vultures” of the 455th Bomb Group, based out of San Giovanni, Italy. Presidential candidate and Senator George McGovern flew with the 455th Bomb Group, completing 35 combat missions as a B-24 pilot.

Often referred to as the “Flying Boxcar,” the B-24 Liberator did the majority of heavy bombing for the 15th Air Force. Fifteen out of their twenty-one bomb groups flew the B-24.

7. Despite having a greater top speed, longer range, and a heavier bomb load than the B-17, the Liberator would never receive the admiration of the Flying Fortress since it was prone to catching on fire during battle and breaking in two during a wheels-up or water landing.

8. The “Red Tails” earned the respect of the bomber crews they escorted due in part to the tactics implemented by their commander. Pilot Charles McGee remembers:

“In his briefings, B.O. (Col. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.) was very explicit about the way we operated. If enemy planes appeared to attack, the flight commander would designate who would go after them. The rest of us stayed with the bombers, doing S-maneuvers, and we were glad that we weren't bomber pilots, who had to hold a tight formation as they made their final runs over the target, through enemy flak and fighters.”

1. Located in northern Italy, the Dolomite Mountains provided a natural, imposing barrier between Italy and Austria. Sometimes as high as 10,000 feet, wounded American aircraft would have to cross these mountains on their way back from targets in southern Germany. During World War I, these mountains were the site of fierce, peak to peak fighting between the Italians and Austrians.

2. Capt. Charles McGee flies his P-51C “Kitten.” He recalls, “I christened it Kitten, which was my wife's nickname, and my crew chief, Nathaniel Wilson, kept it purring, too.” Kitten would be McGee’s mount for the later part of his 136 combat missions flown with the 332nd Fighter Group.

Upon his departing the combat theatre, “Kitten” was passed on to Lt. Leon Spears who was hit by flak over Berlin on March 24, 1945 and made a wheels-up landing in occupied Poland where he became a POW.

3. Lt. Roscoe Brown pilots his P-51D “Bunnie,” named after his daughter. Roscoe scored two victories while flying this Mustang including an Me 262 jet over Berlin. In past instances, this aircraft has been wrongly attributed as Col. Benjamin O. Davis Jr.’s plane after he piloted it for a wartime publicity photo.

4. The now-famous red tails of the 332nd Fighter Group came about almost by accident according to pilot Charles McGee: “As I understand it, red paint was what was readily available. I think on the first couple of planes they just painted the rudder, but one of the pilots in the 332nd said, 'That's not enough.' As it turned out, the gunners on the Boeing B-17s and Consolidated B-24s loved it because they could easily tell who was friendly at high altitude over the target area.”

MATT HALL

Now acknowledged as the rising talent in military art, Matt Hall worked for years under master visionary, Steven Spielberg, at Spielberg’s DreamWorks company! These days, however, Matt no longer paints to serve the icons of Hollywood—he paints to pay tribute to America’s military heroes.

Matt’s artistic training began as a boy in Missouri, when he met an old-time western artist named Bob Tommy, who just moved from Texas. Tommy encouraged Matt to try his hand at painting. When Tommy saw Matt’s “natural talent,” he became Matt’s mentor and taught him the technique he had amassed in his lifetime of work.

In college, Matt studied painting. After graduation, he broadened his skills, painting everything from greeting cards to animation backgrounds. His career changed forever when Spielberg’s DreamWorks company found and hired him. Matt brought and his new bride, Michele, a Texas small-town girl, with him to Hollywood.

At DreamWorks, Matt rose through the ranks, painting concept art. When Steven Spielberg had an idea brewing about the Battle for Iwo Jima, Matt painted an “epic concept” for him that Spielberg used to pitch the film, Flags of Our Fathers. Soon, Matt was named Franchise Art Director for DreamWorks’ Medal of Honor video games series, one credited with generating interest in WWII history among young people.

Matt grew as an artist through Spielberg’s critiques. “I learned from Steven Spielberg the value of listening to my ‘creative instincts’” Matt explained. “A lot of times,

Matt as he signs "In the Company of Heroes" prints.

marketing dictates if an idea will be well-received, but Spielberg would often fly against the grain, if he believed in an idea. There was a time when the marketing guys said ‘WWII is done and dead,” but Spielberg followed his instincts and passion and made Saving Private Ryan!”

There, Matt discovered that he, too, possessed a passion to tell the stories of America’s war heroes when DreamWorks had him create paintings for the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Working from just a citation and a portrait of a long-deceased MOH recipient, Matt brought their stories back to life. There, he discovered his calling.

Then, in summer 2008, Matt underwent brain surgery to remove a growth behind his eye. “It was a wake-up call,” Matt explained. “It got me thinking, ‘What kind of legacy will my art leave? Will it tell a story of something important? Will it be something people will appreciate 50 or 100 years from now? It was tough to look in mirror and say ‘maybe not’ since the art I was doing would be locked away in a vault once it served its purpose.”

After Matt’s surgery, Valor Studios, a prominent publisher of military art came to Matt with an offer to publish him. Valor Studios had seen Matt’s work for DreamWorks and asked if he wanted to paint full time to honor the heroes of military past and present? Matt heartily agreed. “It was an epiphany on a lot of levels,“ he explained, “Spiritually, artistically, and career-wise. Like that leap of faith when I went to paint for Hollywood, I’ve now decided to follow my passion and paint the stories of men and women whose legacies need to be preserved.”

Tuskegee Airmen Charles McGee (L) and George Hardy with Matt Hall's "Return of the Red Tails" original.

Valor Studios and Matt Hall wish to thank Brig. Gen. Leon Johnson, Rev. Solomon Williams, Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.,
Yvonne McGee, Gwenelle Spann, Jane Rogers, and the distinguished veterans who made this print possible.