First Lieutenant Lee "Buddy" Archer Figure (1:32)

FIRST LIEUTENANT LEE 'BUDDY'ARCHER, 302ND FIGHTER SQUADRON/332ND FIGHTER GROUP, RAMITELLI, AUGUST 1944

A native of New York City, Lee Archer was determined to fly fighters with the USAAF in order to do his bit to defeat the evils of Nazi Germany. Equally horrified by the endemic racism he encountered during flight training in Tuskegee, AL, he vowed to campaign for equal rights once he had helped defeat the Germans. Transferred home immediately in October 1944 after claiming his fifth kill, Archer had to wait a further 55 years before being officially credited with five victories to 'make ace'!