In this powerful work of narrative investigation, Cheryl W. Thompson—award-winning NPR journalist and daughter of a Tuskegee Airman—revisits one of World War II’s most haunting mysteries: the disappearance of 27 Black pilots who never returned from combat.

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Nearly 1,000 Tuskegee Airmen trained at the segregated base in Alabama, emerging from across the country to defy prejudice and prove their skill in the skies. They became the famed 332nd Fighter Group, protecting American bombers and changing the course of the war. Yet in the conflict’s closing missions, 27 of these trailblazing aviators were lost. The military’s efforts to explain, recover, or bring closure to their families fell short—leaving questions that still echo eight decades later.

 

Through meticulous research and deeply human storytelling, Forgotten Souls illuminates not only the bravery of the missing airmen but also the injustice of a nation that doubted them, even as their courage saved lives. Thompson traces the heartbreak endured by the families and communities left searching for answers, and the enduring legacy of resilience they carried forward.

 

Eighty years on, this book reclaims the voices of the lost Tuskegee Airmen, honoring their service, their sacrifice, and the profound mark they left on America’s history.