Many of us felt we never would get a chance to really fight. Who more than self their country loved and mercy more than life i couldnt go in, which i didnt realize at that time, was because of the color of my skin. America america make god thy gold refine the story of africanamericans in world war ii is, indeed, a legacy of patriotism and valor. In 1941 americans looked at their world and saw war everywhere. Across the atlantic adolf hitlers german troops occupied nearly every inch of europe, from france to russia, to the baltic sea and in north africa. In the pacific the Japanese Army and navy had already captured parts of china, manchuria, korea and a number of nearby islands. Pearl harbor would stun the United States into war. Monday morning the first thing i did was go down to the recruiting station and enlist in the service of my country. I was told there was no quota for black troops. Theyve got to remember that this country was very discriminatory, segregated and there was no change. First of all, black sailors as sailors per se other than as mess attendants or stewards werent permitted into the navy. Given the fact that i was in the segregated army, that made no difference. I joined the army to fight for the country, for my country, because i was born and raised and nurtured by this country. And i saw no reason to slack off because of the segregated, nor being in a racist society. Africanamericans participation in the armed forces was regulated by firmly held beliefs. Blacks should be organized in segregated units. Blacks would not mind segregation. Blacks should be used only in service units. Blacks should not command whites. The motivation was basic, black male of color then, i felt that if i fought for my country, shared my blood, if necessary, then i come back home i would be treated as equal. I earned it. In a sense i really believe for two wars, one is against the germans and japanese and the other is a war against segregation. Africanamericans would fight, bleed and die in world war ii, to free people around the world. Their performance on the battlefield would change the American Armed forces forever, and their bravery would pave the way for the modern Civil Rights Movement that would emerge after the war. But one battle would take much longer to win. It would take more than 50 years for america to fully recognize the heroism of its black war fighters. More than 50 years ago an unspeakable tyranny threat nene the worlds freedom and men and women answered the call to arms. Millions of these were americans and many of these americans were black. In the Second World War more than 1 million africanamerican men and women served on land, at sea, and in the air. They served also to ensure that the freedom for which they fought abroad could not be denied at home. The program youre about to see is a chronicle of their service. In no way can it measure up to the determination and patriotism of these extraordinary men and women, for the struggle stands as a model of courage and character. As you watch the scenes unfold, you will get a glimpse of a magnificent, heart rending effort for freedom and justice. Today the cry utriumphs of thes africanamerican men and women are a Lasting Legacy of every soldier, sailor, marine, coast guardsman and merchant marine who served in world war ii. But even more, what they gave, what they suffered, and what they accomplished is a shining example to free men and women everywhere. It is very important to note that black americans have always fought for this country. In the American Revolution 5,000 fight for freedom. The war of 1812, thousands more serve on land and at sea. The civil war, africanamericans fight for freedom and dignity. The 9th and 10th calvalry regiments open up americans western frontier as the Buffalo Soldiers. And the 24th and 25th infantry help helped Teddy Roosevelts rough riders at a crucial moment in the battle for san juan hill. 400,000 africanamericans served in world war i. Two allblack combat divisions were activated. The 92nd and the 93rd infantry. But it is under the command of the french army that black american infantry would prove their mettle on the battlefield. For their bravery france awards black soldiers its highest medal, and the United States awards black soldiers from both units the distinguished Service Cross. Despite their bravery the number of black soldiers in the army are severely reduced during the period between world war i and world war ii. In 1940 there were only 4,451 africanamericans in the United States army. Five were commissioned officers and 11 warrant officers. The rest were enlisted men, mostly in service and supply units. There were no black marines, and only a few mess stewards in the navy and coast guard. By the mid1930s the world veers towards war again. Africanamericans still must fight for the right to do their part. At west point the armys military academy, the color barrier remains difficult to crack. Benjamin o. Davis jr. Graduates from west point in 1936. He is the first africanamerican to graduate from the point in the 20th century. Not one social word was spoken to davis in his four years at west point. The reserve officer training corps, rotc, allows some africanamerican College Students to become officers. Meanwhile, africanamerican organizations and newspapers petition president franklin d. Roosevelt and his administration for dignity and equality in the armed forces. There is a grave apprehension among negros lest the existing and adequate representation and training of colored persons may lead to the creation of labor battalions and other forms of discrimination against them in the event of war. September, 1940, Congress Passes the Selective Service and training act. The first number is serial number 158. It promises that black americans will be represented in the armed forces in proportion to the general population. Pfc the cpl the mp its the gi jive but the marine corps isnt accepting blacks. The Army Air Corps isnt accepting blacks. The navy is, but only as mess attendants. The army takes africanamericans, but only as replacements for its allblack units. On the home front blacks face discrimination in the expanding defense industry. Africanamerican organizations continue to protest. A. Phillip randolph sets a july 1st date for a march on washington. To stop the march president roosevelt offers a compromise. He issues executive order 8802 which establishes the president s committee on fair employment practices. The order promises to end discrimination at factories producing for the national defense. Six months later the United States enters world war ii. December 7th, 1941, a date which will live in infamy. The v for victory becomes the double v for black americans, victory over fascism, victory over racism at home. The double v becomes a rallying cry for africanamerican participation in Americas Armed forces and on the home front. Someday hell come along from black entertainers joining the War Bond Campaign rallies to farm workers, to workers on the assembly line, africanamericans help boost morale and supply Americas Armed forces. Ill do my best we did what we did because we were there and we had to do it. You had over 50,000 black soldiers, and they were from the port of embarcation, where all the goods come in all the way up into the jungles which is where we were. Early in the war africanamerican troops are sent to remote corners of the world to build roads and airstrips for future battles. One of the wars most formidable Construction Projects is the lito road, running from lito in india to china, over the him layias and the jungles it will be more than a thousand miles long. We would supply the gerkas and the indians fighting around burma where the japanese were fighting at the time, we also supplied american supplies and we also supplied the chinese. Of the 15,000 troops who build the road 60 are africanamericans. The 823rd engineer aviation battalion begins work on the road in december 1942. The 849th and the 1883rd engineer aviation battalions and others soon joined them. Freight trains of the railroad pull into a transfer shed located near the point of origin of the lito road, a detachment of negro engineers began work on the road in december 1942. In this headquarters area the neg row units handle every phase of the operations, incident to removing vital replacements along the route. On january 12th, 1945 the first convoy of soldiers travel the lito road. And when the first convoy from india to china rolled over the completed road 25 months later, a negro was driving the lead vehicle. In driving, instead of shifting automatically and, you know, double clutching, when you start going up the mountains you dont have time to double clutch if you have a loaded truck so you fly clutch it so you slip past the gears. You rough on the truck but you got to your destination safely. On the other side of the world africanamerican troops battle frigid arctic temperatures and blinding snow to build the alcan highway. The black soldiers, some of them had never drove a bulldozer, had never drove a truck, a big heavy truck, never drove a road grader. But they learned how to use that and did that kind of work themselves. We wasnt taught to do none of the kind of way. The terrain was very rough. It was unstable. It would vibrate, which made it rather difficult for the bulldozers, the temperatures varied anywhere from 32 below zero down to 65 below zero. Bulldozer would freeze to the ground. Trucks would freeze to the ground. And once you cut the motor off you couldnt get any of them to start. On the alaskan highway the black troops were housed in cloth tents while the white soldiers were in huts and housed in some of their army bases. What protected the black soldiers inside of the tents, the frost was about an inch thick, which acted as insulation. From april 1942 until july 1943 black soldiers work on the 1,600 mile highway that will link alaska, canada and the United States to supply allied forces. It was a great accomplishment. Its a great feat. And some compared with building the panama canal. Planes for russia, fair banks, alaska, the first russia bound planes the unit got 8,000 planes to russia by way of the alaskan highway. Africanamerican soldiers also build airfields that pave the way for the liberation of europe. Hard work, sweat and tears. And the thing was this, you dont go home until you finish. If you get it finished, then you go home. The tuskegee experiment was designed to fail. I was not going to fail. The officer in charge told me, he says, we really dont have any colored in the military Army Air Corps. There are other places for you. And we will not have any. The basis for their refusal was a staff report which had determined, i use that word euphemistically that colored troops did not have the capability, the intelligence, the courage, or even the coordination to fly fighter aircraft. There were a couple of young black men in the chicago area who felt so strongly about wanting to fly military aircraft, that they rented an old lincoln page plane and flew it to washington to focus on the fact that blacks did not have opportunities to learn to fly military aircraft. They were met by then senator harry truman. His statement, if you guys have the guts enough to fly that thing all the way from chicago to washington, then i have guts enough to see that you get what youre asking for. Mrs. Roosevelt went down to tuskegee on a visit and while she was there she went out to the field and met chief anderson, the chief pilot of the primary phase of flying. And she went to the dismay of the secret service and everybody, she went for a ride with chief anderson. When she went back to washington, within a short time, the tuskegee experiment was begun. The War Department announces plans for the formation and training of an allblack pursuit squadron, an airfield to train the pilots is built in tuskegee, alabama. The first class consisted of 13, 12 students and one military officer who was then captain davis who later became the commander. I was transferred from the base at Tuskegee Army airfield to command the 99th in august of 42. We were very much interested in flying. I think that everybody felt that this was an opportunity because theyd not had the advantage of such training before. We had come to the realization that that it would not come easy, that we would have to be almost twice as good as the other people if we were to succeed. But admonished ourselves and admonished our comrades that this would not only for us but it was for our whole race of people. In april 1943 the 99th flight pursuit squadron leaves for north africa. Benjamin o. Davis jr. Is in command. He has no combat experience. The 99th is stationed at cape bond, attached to the 33rd Fighter Group. Trained for pursuit the 99th ironically flies Bombing Missions in north africa and sicily through the summer of 1943. They thhad great problems in 1943 was the commander was a segregationist and he did everything he could to keep them segregated. They werent invited to the officer club on his part of the airfield, kept segregated in every way, shape and form, the worst thing the commander did to them in their First Combat Missions he didnt allow a veteran pilot to lead them into combat. In september 1943 the lack of significant fighter engagements endangering the 99ths continued d existence, davis is ordered back to the United States to defend the record. Colonel davis had to fight very hard to keep the unit flying, the recommendation was to abandon the 99th and to stop the training of the 332nd, in training on the airfield at the time. Lieutenant colonel daviss defense keeps the Tuskegee Airmen flying. With huge losses mounting for the 15th air force, the 332nd Fighter Group moves to italy in april 1944 to begin bomber escort duty. Davis snapped at the opportunity he had been flying a very obsolete airplane, the p39 cobra, he was given the p47 for about a month and then the p51. Just about every day we were flying top cover for bombers, protecting the bombers from enemy fighters. Now, the bombers, they have to fly straight and level at a certain speed so that the bombadier can make sure the bomb lands where its supposed to. Its a sad commentary when you see these guys coming in there flying like bugs and you see them explode. On mission after Mission Bomber crews looked to the 332nds red tail fighter escort for protection. You would stay with the bombers because that was your primary job, because when the fighters went running off chasing other fighters, then new german fighters would come in and the bombers would be all by themselves. The 332nd never lost a bomber to an enemy fighter in 200 missions stretching from may of 44 to april 45. That is a unique record. No white unit, and all the rest of them were white, stayed in the hunt as long as they did, could make that claim. One of the armys best kept secrets was that there was a black Fighter Group. We had no idea that the red tails, who had given us the finest escort and whose escort we preferred were black pilots. Not an idea in the world. The Tuskegee Airmen were a bunch of very courageous, able, intelligent, aggressive young africanamericans who were not going to be stopped by anything. And we were some damn good pilots. It was just a feeling of patriotism and a feeling that everyone wanted to help out in the war effort. Africanamerican women also answered the call to service. From europe to north africa to new guinea and here at home, they serve and work to win the war. In april 1941 the Army Nurse Corps has 48 africanamerican nurses. By 1944 there will be 220 black army nurses. Africanamerican females in the womens army corps, or w. A. X. , have an uphill battle to serve their country. Charity adams commanded the 6888 postal protection. The white wax had been serving overseas by two years, but for some reason the usual black troops made trouble or blacks cant do what others are doing and whatnot, overseas commanders did not want black women to come over. I guess if there is anything that i remember about the Second World War it was the fact, or that i was a member of the 6888, central postal directory. It was the first and the only battalion of black women to serve overseas during the Second World War and im very, very proud of that. Stationed in birmingham, england and later in france the 6888 processes mail, forwarding eagerly awaited packages and letters to americans throughout europe. Their job was redirecting mail that had had one attempted delivery based on the last address the people back home had. But of course in wartimes you move pretty fast. Our job was not exciting, but it was necessary because it was necessary for the morale of the troops. Mail meant morale. By the wars end the navy had commissioned six black female officers and had enlisted 70 waves. The coast guard by this time had accepted a few black women in its reserve program, the spars. For civilian africanamerican women world war ii brings new challenges and opportunities. 600,000 out of a million africanamericans who enter paid employment during the war are women. Dover, new jersey needed more workers to make more ammunition for our fighting sources. The appeal was to harlem. A former factory worker sums it up best when she declares lincoln may have freed the slaves but hitler was the one that got us out of the white folks kitchen. This young white sailor said you black sob, i heard they had commissioned you guys but i never thought id see one. So i was standing down on the corner of 14th and independence avenue. All dressed up in my blues. And i never got so many hate stares in my life. From white servicemen who looked at me as if to say who d