Checkertail Final Reunion

Published Sept. 30, 2015
By Airman 1st Class Solomon Cook
325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- In American history, there has been only one Greatest Generation -- of those, even fewer can call themselves "Warrior Airmen." Although they are no longer up in the air, they still travel, telling their stories along the way.

As their numbers lessen, the World War II era 325th Fighter Group met Sept. 24 for a final reunion at Tyndall.

The Airmen of the 325th Fighter Group fought to defeat Axis Powers during World War II across North Africa, Italy, France, Germany and Eastern Europe. The 325th FG destroyed 537 enemy aircraft in aerial combat, 350 enemy aircraft on the ground, were awarded two Distinguished Unit citations and had 27 aces recognized during two years of combat. Their motto, "Locare et Liquidare", meaning Locate and Liquidate, brilliantly described the Checkertails' mission, focus and correspondingly exceptional results.

The 325th Fighter Wing hosted the 70th Annual Reunion of the World War II Fighter Group, the Checkertail Clan. The reunion, held at Tyndall, honored guests of the current 325th FW. The Checkertail reunion featured a welcome reception, memorabilia show, a tour of Tyndall, a "Black and Gold" banquet and a premiere of Checkertail documentaries.

"The Checkertail Reunion has less to do with Tyndall's history than it does the history of the 325th FW Checkertails," said Maj. Adam Keith, 43rd Fighter Squadron deputy operations officer. "A reunion has never been held here before. The WWII era Checkertails were never stationed here. However, they connect their heritage to us through the history of the then 325th FG who provided air dominance during World War II - to the current 325th FW, who trains and projects unrivaled combat airpower."

An in-depth history of the Checkertails was viewed during the showing of "Checkertails: A documentary project.

"The following is the story of one unsung group of pilots, who stood up to be counted when the time came to fight back against the rising tide of tyranny," said Neil Pugh, film documentarian. "They were young men, who like us, all had hopes and dreams of what their future would bring. Yet when all hope seemed lost, they did not cower, they did not run, they stood firm and chose to fight. Many of them gave the ultimate sacrifice in that fight. This is our tribute to these men, who were feared and known by their enemies as Checkertails"

During their visit the original Checkertails toured Tyndall and saw the Air Force changed, first hand, since their time in the service. Additionally, they took time to talk to the newest generation of Checkertails and show memorabilia from their careers.

"I had the chance to ask the vets about their World War II combat experiences and missions," Keith said. "I wanted to know about the roles they played in the Allied campaign, as well as details about the bigger aerial battles and campaigns they participated in. It is an honor to host them at Tyndall for their 70th and final Checkertail Reunion. I'm sure the vets and their families found a warm welcome at Tyndall and enjoyed their stay on our beautiful Gulf Coast. "