Tutor Et Ultor - one of the coolest mottos

by Arlan Ponder
49th Wing Public Affairs

1/12/2015 - HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE N.M., -- Recently, an Australian news magazine published a story listing the seven "coolest" U.S. Air Force mottos along with their meanings. The 49th Wing's motto of "Tutor Et Ultor," which is Latin translating loosely to "I Protect and Avenge," was one of the seven listed.

Unit mottos have been around since the birth of our nation. More than just words on a patch or unit emblem, they are meant to serve as a reminder to all the past, present and future members whose service, action and history bind them together forever.

Perhaps the best example of a motto that links members of a military branch together forever is the Marine Corps motto "Semper Fidelis." Originally adopted in 1883, "Semper Fi" signifies the dedication Marines have to "Corp and country" while they faithfully support their fellow Marines.

A few of the examples listed in the Australian story were the 5th Bomb Wing's "Kiai O Ka Lewa," which is Hawaiian for "Guardians of the Upper Realm." The 5th Bomb Wing is stationed in Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota and is home to one of the B-52H Stratofortess units. "Mors Ab Alto" is Latin and translates to "Death from above." This motto is assigned to the 7th Bomb Wing, who fly B-1B Lancers from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. A French phrase, "Attaquez et Conquerez," which means "Attack and Conquer," is the motto of the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea. The wing flies the F-16 Fighting Falcon while being know world-wide as the home of the "Wolf Pack."

Capturing the fundamental nature of World War II and the patriotic fervor following the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, then-49th Pursuit Group Commander Maj. Paul Wurtsmith directed the development of the emblem and use of the motto in 1942.

"Tutor Et Ultor" was meant to captured the core values, mission and spirit of the Army Air Forces' 49th Pursuit Group while serving as a battle cry for the group and its three flying squadrons. A motto that would be worn on the uniform patches, challenge coins, business cards, moral shirts, social media pages, newspapers and briefings of past, present and future "Fightin' 49ers" -- including the Air Force's Ace of Aces Dick Bong.

The Wing emblem today consists of a winged knight's helmet, the Southern Cross, and a lightning bolt dividing fields of blue and yellow. However, even though every element in the emblem carries a special significance, it's the three words written across the scroll that defines us as one of the Air Force's most historic units.

Although "Tutor Et Ultor" has described the wing's mission for the last seven decades, its three simple words have never rung as true as they do today. Just as the military mission after World War II sought to protect the home front and then avenged the attack on American soil, current "Fightin' 49ers" continue to follow the same course.