Retired Air Force Colonel Charles McGee relished his combat role in World War II, protecting American bombers during missions in Europe.

The stakes were high.

If Nazi fighters shot down the planes he escorted as a Tuskegee Airman, Americans would die and the war effort would suffer.

“Each bomber shot down was 10 American lives,’’ McGee, 96, said during an interview before an event at the University of Massachusetts Boston celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Tuskegee Airmen, the trailblazing African American pilots who became the nation’s first group of black military fliers.

The bombers he protected, McGee said, targeted enemy oil fields, as well as fuel depots and factories making munitions and equipment.

“We had a lot of action,’’ McGee said. “It was all about protecting American lives and destroying the Germans’ war-making capability.’’

Equally important, McGee said, was showing that black servicemen had the same abilities as their white counterparts.

“At the time, a lot of folks didn’t want us,’’ McGee said, adding that some people doubted black pilots could meet the high technical demands of combat aviation.

“Receiving good training, we were able to dispel those biases,’’ said McGee, who spent 30 years in the military, including 27 as a pilot. He now lives in Maryland.

He was honored Thursday along with fellow Tuskegee Airmen, including Dr. Harold May, George Hardy, and Enoch Woodhouse, during a reception at the university’s Dorchester campus.

They participated in a panel discussion moderated by WHDH reporter and Urban Update host Byron Barnett, after a screening of a documentary film on the airmen.

The Tuskegee contingent included pilots, flight crew, aircraft mechanics, instructors, and support staff who helped usher in desegregation of the military in 1948.

McGee said in the earlier interview that during the 1940s, he and his fellow airmen did not think about the historical implications of their service.

“We were coming out of 10 years of [economic] depression,’’ McGee said. “We were glad to suddenly have opportunities in the world war buildup.’’

At the same time, McGee said, he hopes to pass on the values that helped him and his fellow pilots succeed to younger generations.

“They need to be aware’’ of this chapter of history, McGee said.

He noted that he and his comrades continued to face racial discrimination in the United States when they returned from the war.

“Segregation still existed here at home, so it wasn’t all that pleasant,’’ McGee said, while also pointing out that the Tuskegee Airmen helped “fight racism at home.’’

And McGee, who flew more than 400 combat missions in World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam, said his life has been a joy despite the many challenges he faced.

“You couldn’t have written a better script for me,’’ McGee said. “I couldn’t beat it. Life turned out marvelous for me. It’s said that ‘all’s well that ends well,’ and it ended well.’’

McGee was joined Thursday night by his granddaughter, Tesha Myers of North Andover.

“I think he’s just a great, special person,’’ she said. “He’s a great model, just an all-around great person.’’

More than 300 people attended the celebration Thursday night. Proceeds went to fund a scholarship program of the New England chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen Inc., a nonprofit that promotes the history of the iconic military outfit.

Several speakers made brief opening remarks, including Francisco Urena, the state’s veterans’ services secretary.

He asked all attendees who served or continue to serve in the military to stand; roughly half the people stood.

Urena also praised the legacy of the airmen.

“I thank the example each and every day that our Tuskegee Airmen made,’’ he said.

Travis Andersen can be reached at Travis.Andersen@Globe.com. Follow him on Twitter@TAGlobe.