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African American combat troops?

Discussion in 'WWII General' started by robtheworker, Jan 26, 2010.

  1. robtheworker

    robtheworker Member

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    I was wondering if there were any instances of African American troops being used in combat at all? From what i'm aware of (and i may be very wrong, feel free to correct me), African American troops were non combat troops only?
     
  2. Triple C

    Triple C Ace

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    Yes, E. Roosevelt pressured the Army to create an all-blacks fighter squadron and a tank battalion. There is an all-black infantry division in PTO. In ETO during the great infantry shortage of 1944 blacks from service units often volunteered to be infantry replacements.
     
  3. Mehar

    Mehar Ace

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    The Tuskegee Airmen were composed entirely of African Americans, I think the Buffalo Soldiers might have been deployed in some form during one of the World Wars.
     
  4. mikebatzel

    mikebatzel Dreadnaught

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    There was the 761st and 784th Tank Battalions both fought in Europe. The 24th IR's service goes back as far as the Spanish-American War.
     
  5. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    the 92nd and 93rd Infantry Division were initially all black outfits. The 92nd was in Italy and the 93rd went to the Pacific.

    After a poor showing, the 3 infantry regiments were broken up and 1 regiment was reformed out the best men of the regiments. The 442nd and another regiment that I can't remember were attached until the end of the war.
     
  6. brndirt1

    brndirt1 Saddle Tramp

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    In addition to those mentioned, there was also a barrage balloon company landed on the beachs of Normandy. While they weren't actually "combat" troops, they were armed and could be used as infantry if needed. The "Red Ball Express" wasn't completely segragated, but it was between 60 and 70% African-American, and they were expected to jump out of their trucks and defend the convoy if attacked, so they were "semi-combat" at the least. America had a number of "not so dispicible" traits as well when it came to segragation of ethnicity/race. But our treatment of the 92nd is without doubt undeserved.

    In an Article from World War II Magazine, June 18th 2006 here are few paragraphs which contain this about the 92nd (sorry about the format):

    African Americans have fought in every major conflict in which the
    United States has been involved, from the Revolutionary War on. They
    frequently served with distinction--the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer
    Infantry during the American Civil War, the 9th and 10th U.S.
    Colored Cavalry regiments during the Indian wars and the
    Spanish-American War, and the 369th Infantry Regiment during World
    War I all established outstanding fighting records.

    Yet with each new war in which the United States became embroiled,
    the white American establishment tended to forget the contribution
    made by black servicemen in previous conflicts. Each time, black
    soldiers were committed to combat in racially segregated units and
    had to prove themselves all over again. Of the 909,000 black
    Americans selected for duty in the Army during World War II, only
    one black division saw infantry combat in Europe--the 92nd Infantry
    Division.

    (the portion about them always being in segregated units is true with the exception of the Revolutionary War, in that one the black freemen troops fought alongside and with the white troops.)

    Although Allied forces were ecstatic over their success in Italy,
    for the Buffalo Soldiers, it was a bittersweet victory. The military
    establishment considered the 92nd, which comprised less than 2
    percent of all black Americans in the army, a failure. Regarded as
    an experiment from the outset, the division had been closely watched
    and roundly criticized.

    Much of the blame for the setbacks in February 1945 and other
    similar occurrences was attributed to confusion between the junior
    officers and enlisted personnel. However, their officers were
    rotated so often that the men sometimes had no idea who their
    commanders were, and in many cases the most outstanding officers and
    NCOs were killed in action.

    In defense of the black junior officers, Lt. Col. Markus H. Ray,
    commander of the division's 600th Field Artillery Battalion (which
    had all black officers and men) wrote on May 14, 1945: "I believe
    that the young Negro officer represents the best we have to offer
    and under proper, sympathetic and capable leadership would have
    developed and performed equally with any other racial group....They
    were Americans before all else."

    The numbers alone tell an impressive story. Of 12,846 Buffalo
    Soldiers who saw action, 2,848 were killed, captured or wounded. The
    Buffalo Soldiers did, in fact, break through the Gothic Line. They
    reached their objective, captured or helped to capture nearly 24,000
    prisoners and received more than 12,000 decorations and citations
    for their gallantry in combat. The soldiers of the 92nd Division had
    proved their worth through months of bitter combat in the Italian
    campaign.

    Those who wished to keep the record of the 92nd in the dumper pointed out the disparity between the Negro (PC at the time) troops and their white counterparts.

    Goto:

    CHAPTER 8

    (here are a couple of selected paragraphs)

    "In 1945, when Negroes accounted for 8.5 percent of the Army's average strength, black prisoners entering rehabilitation centers, disciplinary barracks, and federal institutions were 17.3 percent of the Army total."

    This certainly might be because "...unit commanders had a great deal of discretion in framing the charges brought against an alleged offender; indeed, where some minor offenses were concerned officers could even conclude that a given infraction was not a serious matter at all and simply dismiss the soldier with a verbal reprimand and a warning not to repeat his offense. Whereas one commander might decide that a case called for a charge of aggravated assault, another, faced with the same set of facts, might settle for a charge of simple assault. If it is reasonable to assume that, as a part of the pattern of discrimination, Negroes accused of offenses like misconduct toward superiors, AWOL, and assault often received less generous treatment from their officers than white servicemen, then it is reasonable to suspect that statistics on Negroes involved in crime may reflect such discriminatory treatment."

    That simple discretionary treatment by white officers might easily "fudge" the numbers and the level of the crimes against the African-Americans for anti-Black (they are shiftless criminals) purposes.

    And here is at least one of the sites devoted to the African American experience in WW2.

    Goto:

    MONTFORD POINT MARINES 28

    "In June of 1941 African Americans began to enter the United States Marine Corps under Franklin Roosevelt's Executive Order #8802. The first two known to enlist in that time period were Alfred Masters and George O. Thompson."

    "At that period in time the race issue in the United States was a very touchy subject. Many people would not allow black soldiers to be trained at the same facilities as the white soldiers. For this reason a separate training facility used for the men. The facility was located at Lejeune, North Carolina, Camp Montford Point."

    "Many soldiers arrived at the facility throughout 1942 and after as around 19,000 African American Marines served in World War II ."

    BTW, Eisenhower "temporarily" desegregated the troops in Europe just after the Second Ardennes offensive (Battle of the Bulge) in Dec. of 1944. But that was only a temp. stop-gap measure to "fill a need" of the moment and was mentioned previously by "Triple C". And don’t overlook another oft forgotten group, it was the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion.

    See:

    triplenickles Page 2.

    Even though they were never deployed to the front, they did serve in the Pacific Northwest as the first "massive deployment" style of smokejumpers. There had been individual smokejumpers previously, but only a few men for small deployments. The 555th were deployed to the forests to combat any of the Fugo incendiary balloon bombs that might start fires in the Pacific Northwest, the equipment they pioneered, and their tactics are still used today.

    The African and Japanese Americans seem to be the only ethnic groups that served in purposely segregated units, In 1917, just before the U.S. entered the war, Puerto Ricans were granted U.S. citizenship and thus became eligible for military service. Subsequently, 18,000 Puerto Ricans served in WWI, and many more in WW2.

    During WWII, the ranks of Latinos and Hispanics in the U.S. Armed Forces swelled to more than 400,000, a higher percentage than any other minority. Of these, at least 65,000 were Puerto Rican, including 200 puertoriqueñas who served in the Women's Army Corps. Some 350,000 Mexican-Americans alone served in the armed services and won a number of Medals of Honor (either 12 or 17 depending on sources), the WW2 era proved to be generally positive for Mexican-Americans and is often viewed as a watershed in their history. I believe there was only one unit made up entirely of Mexican-Americans, most were simply integrated into other units when they enlisted or were drafted.

    The only "separate" one made up of Hispanics I have ever heard of is Company E of the 141st Regiment of the 36th Texas Infantry Division which was made up entirely of Spanish-speaking Americans. But that was because of "where it was formed up" rather than because of "who was in it". After 361 days of combat in Italy and France, the 141st Infantry Regiment sustained 1,126 killed, 5,000 wounded and more than 500 missing in action. In recognition of their extended service and valor, the members of the 141st were awarded 31 Distinguished Service Crosses, 12 Legion of Merits, 492 Silver Stars, 11 Soldier's Medals, 1,685 Bronze Stars and numerous other commendations and decorations.

    The "standing" and acceptance continued after the war for Mexican-Americans in the military generally. The G.I. Bill of Rights gave all veterans (Mexican-Americans included) such benefits as educational subsidies and loans for business and housing. The Zoot Suit riots excluded, the Mexican-Americans were generally accepted, as an example there was the Braceros Agreement for agricultural workers in the USA which was started up in late 1942 and was not discontinued until 1964 or so. After which even farm workers from Mexico had to cross into America "illegally", and which continues to be a problem to this day!

    Chinese-Americans served in integrated bomber units in the Air Corps as pilots or crew members, and in the infantry, airborne and USN. About 20,000 Chinese-Americans served in the war, most in the European theater. This also includes people of mixed Chinese and White parentage or ancestry who were considered 'white.' Gordon Chung Hoon for instance commanded the USS Sigsby in 1945 and destroyed 20 Kamikazes despite sustaining heavy damages. Chung Hoon holds the title of being the first Chinese-American promoted to Rear Admiral. Today he has a ship named after him, the USS Chung Hoon.

    However, some Filipinos did serve in segregated units. The Philippine Scouts were a segregated unit of the US Army in the Far East but commanded by white officers. That said, some individual Filipino Americans who served in the European theater were placed in integrated units. They were however kept out of units which included Japanese Americans so as to avoid tensions possibly springing up.
     
    mikebatzel likes this.
  7. Hufflepuff

    Hufflepuff Semi-Frightening Mountain Goat

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    I know there were some black artillery batteries that supported the 101st Airborne at Bastonge.
     
  8. brndirt1

    brndirt1 Saddle Tramp

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  9. 1986CamaroZ28

    1986CamaroZ28 Member

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    Some drove tanks, bombers, and there's some pictures of them fighting at Peleliu.
     
  10. Chuck

    Chuck recruit

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    I am trying to find out what black unit landed on Biak in 1944. I was told by the Skipper of the USS LCI 758 that his ship landed black soldiers on the island who were armed with only armor piercing ammo. More than anything, if anyone out there was among those soldiers, I would give my first born to talk to you.
     
  11. macrusk

    macrusk Proud Daughter of a Canadian WWII Veteran

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    http://books.google.ca/books?id=NbXccb3rkSUC&pg=PA183&lpg=PA183&dq=troops+on+biak+world+war+II+black&source=bl&ots=rPTF2rIkiQ&sig=FT0oHlfm65NUi7etg1tiW-ppW3U&hl=en&ei=4pABTNWyOZ_GM8qowTs&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBsQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

    The 93rd Infantry Division.
     
  12. macrusk

    macrusk Proud Daughter of a Canadian WWII Veteran

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  13. Chuck

    Chuck recruit

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    Michelle, a 50mm thanks for the answer. The Skipper I spoke with has insisted it was the 369th, but I was never able to confirm. I will speak with him this weekend and discuss the new finding. His recollection of transporting the black troops, the outward racism of the crew during the crossing and how the officers contended with it is fascinating and sad.
     
  14. sniper1946

    sniper1946 Expert

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    Quote from link.. "To that end, over 2.5 million African-American men registered for the draft, and black women volunteered in large numbers. While serving in the Army, Army Air Forces, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, they experienced continuing discrimination and segregation. Despite these impediments, many African-American men and women met the challenge and persevered. They served with distinction, made valuable contributions to the war effort, and earned well-deserved praise and commendations for their struggles and sacrifices"

    Pictures of African Americans During World War II
     
  15. Chuck

    Chuck recruit

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    An Australian or New Zealand documentary film company called Big Island Pictures supposedly released a film in 2005 that contained interviews of black soldiers who fought in the Pacific Theater. I have unsuccessfully tried to find it and wondered if anyone has seen or heard of it. I does not appear to have title.
    Chuck
     
  16. sniper1946

    sniper1946 Expert

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    here you go, parts 1 - 6.....:)

    [YOUTUBE]2UPdu0ufDu8[/YOUTUBE]

    [YOUTUBE]jbqhDDiyQYk[/YOUTUBE]

    [YOUTUBE]-KHMFOe16OI[/YOUTUBE]

    [YOUTUBE]qW62TlSc2qc[/YOUTUBE]

    [YOUTUBE]hMlRNezaGDI[/YOUTUBE]

    [YOUTUBE]xc2kG0YV4to[/YOUTUBE]
     
  17. Highway70

    Highway70 Member

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    Black Soldier Blues - link has a short video clip

    TVO February 2007 Highlights

    3 more short clips

    Black Soldier Blues (2004) on ASO - Australia's audio and visual heritage online
     
  18. squrrelco3

    squrrelco3 Member

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    In addition to the above the History Channel Mini-Series "Patton 360" does a good job covering his relationship with a couple of African American tank battalions that served in the Third Army and helped spearhead the drive on Bastonge including the above mentioned 761st Black Panthers.

    Although his views today would probably be considered backward and racist, considering the time period, Patton was relatively progressive toward the black race when compared with the general additude of the rest of American society.
     
  19. Greg Canellis

    Greg Canellis Member

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    Back in the late '70s, early '80s, I talked with a vet of either the 30th or 35th Infantry Division, I can't recall which. He was a BAR man. He spoke of an African-American tank unit being attached to his outfit in France, probably the 761st. He said they were aggressive, and always looking for a fight with the Germans to prove themselves as a fighting unit. This BAR guy had a tactic worked out with one of the Black tank commanders. When approaching a villiage that the Germans were in the process of pulling out of, the BAR guy would fire tracer ammo at soft-skinned vehicles and such, to mark a target for the tankers, who would then lay accurate rounds into their targets. He said other white tankers would be hesitant to fire fearing they might give their position away, but the Black tankers fired away whenever they had the chance.

    Greg C.
     
  20. surfersami

    surfersami Member

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    Although not WWII a lot of people don't realize that blacks served in the Confederate Army as well, many times integrated into white units.
    Robert E. Lee was a proponant of integrating backs into the armed forces.
    In every war I have studied, blacks have served with distinction and bravery. To me they are the American's American. Serving to better their life and be accepted by a country that has discriminated against them for a long time.
    My personal experience with blacks in the military is one of respect. I met more white-trash dirtbags than I did "bad blacks". I have a hard time labeling people with color, we are all just people, cut any of us and we bleed red!
     

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