LETTER: For Black History Month, Remember African-American Vets

The following letter to the editor was submitted to Patch by Harleysville resident Matt Helfrich. To submit a letter to the editor at Patch, please email justin.heinze@patch.com.

As Black History Month begins, It's remarkable to study how African-Americans overcame slavery, racism, and institutional discrimination to become prominent and successful US citizens with the same civil rights afforded to other Americans. Strong leadership within the African-American community, including Martin Luther King Jr, Medgar Evers, and W.E.B deBois, undoubtedly played a vital role in their pursuit of civil rights. Yet we can’t forget the contributions made by every-day African-Americans. Their collective success and progress in the face of racism and discrimination was awe-inspiring. The epitome of this progress is demonstrated in the contributions made by African-American soldiers during war time, in which their outstanding performance on the field of battle immeasurably helped their country.

Although the Civil War and 13th amendment ended slavery in 1865, African-Americans continued to experience racism and segregation in all aspects of society, including the military. During America’s involvement in World War I, America’s military leaders believed that African-Americans did not have the physical, mental or moral character to withstand warfare and they were commonly relegated to labor-intensive service positions. They were segregated from white soldiers and served in “All Black” units. The majority saw little combat. Still, worthy contributions were made by African-Americans towards our country’s war effort in Europe, including the 369th Infantry Regiment, (known as the "Harlem Hellfighters") an all black unit that fought valiantly and bravely with the French to stop Germany’s last great offensive of the war. France awarded the entire unit with Croix de Guerre, the country's highest military honor, and 171 members of the regiment were awarded the Legion of Merit. One of the prominent members of the 369th was Henry Johnson, who fought off a German raid in hand-to-hand combat, killing multiple German soldiers and rescuing a fellow soldier while experiencing 21 wounds. He never received the Medal of Honor he was promised because of the racial discrimination that permeated within the Army officer corps at that time. Thankfully, his bravery was never forgotten and on June 2, 2015 - 98 years after the incident - he was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama in a posthumous ceremony at the White House.

The United States Armed Services continued to segregate African-American soldiers during the most significant event in modern history, World War II. Despite the urgent need to defeat the Nazis and Imperial Japanese, most African-American soldiers were limited to manual labor and weren’t trusted to serve in the front lines in Europe or the Pacific. However, the African-American soldiers who received the opportunity to fight in World War II demonstrated they were outstanding soldiers, sailors, and pilots, regardless of race. One of the most prominent contributions made by African-Americans during the war were the fighter pilots of the 332nd Fighter Group, popularly known as the Tuskegee Airmen. Stationed in Italy and segregated from other units, the Tuskegee Airmen were responsible for protecting the B-17 bombers during raids throughout Europe, including the oil fields in Romania that the Nazis desperately needed to fuel their own aircraft and tanks. Although most US military commanders believed African-American pilots could not perform as well as white ones, the men of the 332nd fighter group provided excellent protection for the B-17 bomber crews that depended on them. Statistics kept by the Army Air Force show that the 332nd was the best fighter squadron in Europe. By late 1944, most bomber crews specifically asked for the 332nd to protect them in their P-51 Mustangs with the signature “Red Tails.” Like Henry Johnson and the Harlem Hellfighters in World War I, the success of the Tuskegee Airmen demonstrated that African-Americans could perform as well in battle than any other race or ethnicity.

The performance of African-Americans soldiers during World War II, although limited in opportunity, was recognized by American leaders and was therefore an important step towards their pursuit of equal rights. Although raised to believe that African-Americans were inferior to whites, President Harry Truman was outraged by news that many African-American soldiers from World War II were subjected to outright discrimination and racial violence. Hundreds of black soldiers were lynched by the KKK. Truman, who had a good sense of right and wrong, was determined to end segregation and fight racism. As a result, Truman issued an Executive Order that required the American Armed Services to be desegregated in 1948. This was a politically courageous decision by Truman, who was told by his advisors that desegregating the army was not popular, especially in the South, and that doing so would cost him another term in White House. He did it anyway, and surprisingly was elected to another term as President by easily defeating Thomas Dewey.

In 1950, an integrated American Army was sent to South Korea to defend it from an invasion by the Communist North. Although segregation in the army had ended two years earlier, African-American soldiers continued to be subjected to racism and discrimination. Promotions were withheld and few decorations and awards were issued to African-American soldiers during the Korean War. Nonetheless, the Korean War was the first war in American history where African-American troops were entrusted to carry out important missions and serve on the front lines of the conflict.

Following the cease fire in Korea in 1953, the civil rights movement gained momentum. More and more Americans began to realize that African-Americans deserved to be protected under the same civil rights as other Americans. African-Americans were not only demonstrating their skill and bravery on the battlefield, but also thriving in academics, athletics, business and government. Their continued success, coupled with the leadership of Martin Luther King and other civil rights leaders, created a political environment in which civil rights legislation could be passed by Congress and supported by a majority of Americans. The passage of the Civil Rights Acts in 1964 and 1965 was the culmination of African-American perseverance and success throughout our country’s history, despite their poor treatment. They did so without resulting to violence or terrorism. It is one of the greatest stories in American history.

Matt Helfrich

Harleysville, PA

AP Photo/Eric Gay