Richard D. Macon True Story & What Happens To Him In Masters Of The Air

This article contains spoilers for Masters of the Air.

In the eighth episode of Masters of the Air, the war drama introduces members of the all-Black Tuskegee Airmen, including the real life airman, Captain Richard Macon, an influential and talented fighter pilot who suffers an unfortunate fate in the summer of 1944, but ultimately survives World War II. Audiences first meet Macon at the start of episode 8 when he and other Tuskegee Airmen complete a bombing mission over Italy. During Masters of the Air, it is clear that Macon is a voice of reason among the men. He is not only intelligent, but caring and brave.

Richard D. Macon was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He attended Miles College and graduated with a mathematics degree in 1942. A year later, in 1943, he joined up with the U.S. Army Air Forces and completed flying school. At that time, there was a flying school for Black pilots located in Tuskegee, Alabama, which contributed to the name of the all-Black squadron. After graduation in February 1944, Macon was considered a true fighter pilot with the Tuskegee Airmen. With the 302nd Fighter Squadron, Macon flew out to Italy, and settled at the Tuskegee Airmen’s base at Ramitelli Air Field.

Richard D. Macon’s Time With The Tuskegee Airmen, WW2 Service & Injury

Richard Macon and the 302nd Fighter Squadron were sent to Italy not long after their graduation in February 1944. He, with the rest of the Tuskegee Airmen, were stationed at Ramitelli Air Field, where they embarked on an impressive number of missions. Notably, the Tuskegee Airmen spent a great deal of their early months flying rather safe missions throughout Italy. Unlike the 100th, who flew over active enemy territory from the very beginning, the Tuskegee Airmen did not see true action until June 1944. Regardless, the work Macon and the other airmen did was integral and notable.

Macon’s plane suffered severe damage and, by a stroke of luck, Macon was safely ejected from it. However, he broke his shoulder and neck during the process. Macon and the other Airmen like Alexander Jefferson were interrogated in Frankfurt before being escorted to Stalag Luft III. Macon received some treatment for his neck as a POW, but before he could fully recuperate, he was moved to Stalag XIII-D, where he remained until the end of the war.

What Happened To Richard D. Macon After World War 2

In December 1945, after the events of Masters of the Air, Richard Macon was promoted to Captain and honorably discharged from the U.S. Army Air Forces. In the years following the war, Macon set up a flight school in Birmingham, Alabama after making a deal with multimillionaire Howard Hughes. After that, Macon received his masters in mathematics from Indiana University before accepting an associate professor position at his alma mater, Miles College. Macon continued to teach in the Midwest until 1987. He also helped found Tuskegee Airmen Inc. He passed away in 2007.