Up First from NPR Dozens of Black pilots disappeared during WWII. Who are the men still lost?
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Apr 12, 2026 
Cheryl W. Thompson, an NPR investigative correspondent and author of Forgotten Souls, traces the mystery of missing Tuskegee Airmen in WWII. She explores how a family connection led her to the story. The conversation follows young pilots’ letters, the role of segregation in failed searches, and the generations of families left without answers.
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How Cheryl W. Thompson Came To This Story
- Cheryl W. Thompson’s father trained with the Tuskegee Airmen but washed out before combat because he struggled with landings.
- A Washington Post colleague’s story about remains found in Austria pushed Thompson to ask how many other Black airmen were still missing.
The Missing Airmen Were Barely Starting Life
- Thompson says the most striking discovery was how young the missing men were, mostly fresh out of college and just starting adult life.
- Their preserved letters reveal ordinary hopes like romance and family, which history often flattens into military legend.
John Henry Chavis's Letter About Cookie
- John Henry Chavis wrote his mother about his fiancée Cookie with exuberant tenderness, sounding like a young man planning a future.
- Thompson obtained the letter from Chavis’s niece and nephew, who preserved family papers across generations.
