Finally, a remarkable chapter in American history is coming to the big screen.

Based on the inspiring real-life story of the Tuskegee Airmen, the new movie Red Tails chronicles the struggles and triumphs of the first African-American squadron of aviators in the U.S. military.

During World War II, a time when the country was still in the grips of Jim Crow laws, the Tuskegee Airmen fought for the right to fight for their country. In their struggle for respect and equal opportunities in the military, they banded together and supported one another through prayer and their belief in each other.

At the time, military policy kept African-American pilots grounded, claiming they "lacked qualifications" to carry out important missions. When the military brass finally relented and allowed them to fly, it paved the way not only for integration within the Army, but eventually within the country at large.