Tuskegee Airmen subject of new George Lucas film

The Tuskegee Airmen will be the focus of a new movie by Star Wars creator George Lucas.

Two South Carolina airmen who trained in both Tuskegee and Walterboro say they hope the film "Redtails", which is in preproduction, will highlight both the airmen's accomplishments overseas and their battle for respect at home.

"I would focus on everybody because we went through hell, you take it from me," said Charleston native Edward M. Gibson, a navigator aboard a B-25 bomber. "We went through hell in order to get prepared to defend this country."

Both he and Earl Adams of North Myrtle Beach said that the treatment they received from the people who doubted blacks could ever operate an airplane was secondary to proving that they could.

"Most of us were so excited about flying that the other part of it, the negative part of it, didn't mean that much to us," Adams said.

Adams said he hopes the movie will also highlight the contribution of Walterboro, which holds a special place in his heart despite the treatment he and others received there when they stepped off base. The city has since embraced the airmen with a monument and a parade and is in the process of starting a museum.