Rare Signed Original Photo of Tuskegee Airman Bill Rice, 100th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group

[WWII] [Tuskegee Airmen] An original signed photograph of one of the oldest surviving Tuskegee pilots, Lt. William "Bill" Rice. 8" x 10" silver gelatin photograph. William E. Rice, was one of the famed Tuskegee airmen of the 100th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group, the first African American military aviators in U.S. history. Rice was the eldest born on December 4th, 1923 in Media, Pennsylvania. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps during his senior year. He completed basic training in Mississippi and was sent to the Tuskegee Institute for preflight training. Not having the two-year college requirement for admission to the program, he completed a special (truncated) curriculum provided by the institute, qualifying him for flight training. After completing combat training, he was sent to Italy in 1945 as a member of the 332nd Fighter Group, flying 34 combat missions in a P-51 plane. Photograph shows him smiling in the cockpit of a plane, wearing a jumpsuit, earmuffs, and a headpiece. Signed in blue pen on the lower right en recto reads: "To Mother & Sis." En recto in the same ink is William Henry “Bill” Rice. Undated. Some minor wear and creasing, with a half inch tear to left side. Overall good to very good condition. The success of the 100th Fighter Squadron was a testament to the courage, skill, and resilience of the Tuskegee Airmen, and it played a vital role in challenging racial barriers within the U.S. military. Rice was discharged from the Army in 1946 with the rank of first lieutenant and received a congressional award in 2007 for his service in WWII. (Inventory #: 21259)