Surprises at Every Turn: A Guest Post by Cheryl W. Thompson

By Cheryl W. Thompson / January 30, 2026 at 12:01 am

Journalist Cheryl W. Thompson shares the untold true story of the 27 Black pilots who disappeared during a critical mission in 1945. Read on for an exclusive essay from Cheryl on writing Forgotten Souls.

Hardcover $30.00

Forgotten Souls: The Search for the Lost Tuskegee Airmen

By Cheryl W. Thompson

In Stock Online

Hardcover $30.00

NPR investigative journalist and the daughter of a Tuskegee Airman, Cheryl W. Thompson explores the stories of the 27 Tuskegee Airmen – the Black pilots who fought for America in WWII – who went missing in combat, the lives they lived, the reasons their planes went down, why the remains of all but two were never found, and the impact their disappearances had on their families and communities.

Growing up in Chicago, my dad, William E. Whitlow Jr., often regaled my two older brothers and me with stories about his time in the Army during World War II. Particularly his tour in Italy, and the friendships he made with the other Black men with whom he served: the Tuskegee Airmen. I tended to tune those tales out; the thought of hearing about the military and war was of little interest to me as a girl.

As the years passed, though, it became increasingly clear how important a time that was in my father’s life. As a young newspaper reporter, I occasionally had to cover weekend Tuskegee Airmen events and loved doing it because of the connection my dad had with those amazing, brave men. My interest only grew with time and the fact that they became more celebrated for the heroes they were. I would tell anyone who would listen that my father was a Tuskegee Airman.

In 2018, while a reporter at The Washington Post, a colleague wrote a story about the remains of a possible Tuskegee Airman found in Austria. It was a big deal because once the war was over, those who didn’t return home basically were forgotten. After the story, I asked that colleague, who knew my dad was a Tuskegee Airman, if he thought there were others who didn’t return. Yes, he told me. I told him that was his book, and he graciously said “No, this is your book, Cheryl.”

That exchange stayed with me before I finally decided to write “Forgotten Souls: The Search for the Lost Tuskegee Airmen.” I thought about my dad and how he would be pleased that I made sure that these men, many of whom he knew, really weren’t forgotten…

I had to figure out how best to tackle a subject I knew little about. Who could best tell the stories of these 27 men who vanished? The relatives of these pilots, who may have documents and photos and firsthand knowledge. And military records. So I combed the National Archives and Records Administration in Maryland and Missouri for personnel files, letters and anything that would help me learn more about these men and their efforts to become the country’s first Black fighter pilots. I found the names of children, spouses, siblings and other relatives, and tracked them down with help from my friend and WaPo researcher, Alice Crites. That was one of the most exciting parts of the research process: finding a kin and connecting with them through our mutual Tuskegee Airman tie.

I found surprises at every turn. While at the Air Force Historical Research Agency in Alabama, I was combing through a cadet yearbook. I found a photo of Tuskegee Airman Charles McGee, who became a brigadier general and was one of the most celebrated of the Black pilots; and William F. Williams Jr., who was one of the 27 who later went missing in Europe. As my eyes darted to the bottom, there was a photo that I never knew about: it was my dad. I stared at it for a while. Tears welled. It became real. He was indeed one of these storied men. And I appreciated it more than ever.

Cheryl W. Thompson is an investigative correspondent for NPR and an associate professor of journalism at George Washington University in Washington, DC.