What is Lee Archer (pilot)?
{{no sources|date=December 2012}} {{Infobox military person |name = Lee A. Archer Jr. |nickname = Buddy |birth_date = {{birth date|1919|9|6}} |death_date= {{death date and age|2010|1|27|1919|9|6}} |birth_place= [[Yonkers, New York|Yonkers]], [[New York (state)|New York]] |death_place= [[Manhattan]], [[New York City]] |image=Lee Archer WW2.jpg |image_size=200 |caption=Lee Archer during World War II |branch=[[United States Air Force]] |serviceyears= 1941-1970 |rank=[[Lieutenant Colonel]] |commands= |unit= [[302nd Fighter Squadron]]<br />[[Tuskegee Airmen]] |battles=[[World War II]]<br />[[Korean War]] |awards=[[Congressional Gold Medal]] and more |laterwork= Businessman }} '''Lee Archer''' was an [[Americans|American]] pilot for the [[United States Air Force]]. He flew from 1941 during [[World War II]] until the year of 1970. He rose until the rank of [[Lieutenant Colonel]]. == Life == Archer was born in [[Yonkers, New York|Yonkers]], [[New York (state)|New York]], on [[September 6]], [[1919]]. He studied at the [[New York University]]. After his study he joined the army having the hope to become a pilot. In that era he had to discover that it was not possible for him as an [[African-American]], due to the [[Jim Crow laws]]. As a result, he was sent of to [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] for a communication job. After the army changed its policy, he was accepted to the trainings program for African-American on [[Tuskegee Army Airfield]] in [[Alabama]]. During [[World War II]] Archer flew on 169 combat missions for the 302nd Fighter Squadron above Europe, and brought down several hostile planes. During a mission in August 1944 he destroyed six German planes on the ground. On October 12, 1944, he 'landed' in a series of air combats above [[Hungary]], which was occupied territory then by [[Nazi Germany]]. Flying a [[P-51 Mustang]] he brought down three German fighters. When he came back in 1945 he discovered that nothing had changed in the American society. When he stepped out of his plane, the first sign he saw d