The Unforgotten Heroes

It is a cruel and tragic irony that, despite the fact that the United States was ostensibly waging war to put an end to fascism, black Americans were still treated unfairly and even those who were willing to die for their country. Despite the unprecedented number of black American soldiers who served in the armed forces during World War II, the patriotism that so many black people showed through their service did not shield them from racism. Black Americans, who were still considered to be of second class, played a crucial role in the war effort, so it's critical to keep in mind how they helped both domestically and abroad.

Less than 10,000 black people were employed by the US military in 1940, but despite the fact that many still believed black soldiers were too cowardly to fight too poorly to execute military strategy and two were unfit to lead others, black and white military personnel were kept in separate units since the Civil War and during World War II. By the end of the war, that number had increased to 1.2 million, and over 2.5 million had registered for the draft services at the church.

In the auxiliary care units created for women who wanted to work as nurses and cooks during World War II, black women also experienced segregation and discrimination.

After the Great Depression of the 1930s, many women started working because they needed more money to support themselves. even more women joined the labor force as a result of themselves, their families, and the call to join the war effort. While racism wasn't really one of the issues that had to force America to change its mind, this did not guarantee that black women would be treated favorably once they joined society.

Women who enlisted in the military were promised career opportunities by organizations created for each branch.

Women from the women's army corps, among others, signed up for volunteer emergencies

While many white women could expect to receive medical training, many black women who joined the air force were largely relegated to menial labor. For instance, at Fort devins, a military base in Boston, black people who were members of the army corps were promised training.

Despite these restrictions, black women distinguished themselves in service before Eleanor Roosevelt's intervention, but they were instead demoted to positions as hospital orderlies.

The first group of black women in the women's army corps, or wax, arrived in Europe in February 1945. It was the sixth triple eighth central postal directory battalion, and when

these women arrived, they discovered a backlogged system, an stacked-to-the-ceiling building with mail. Adams, one of the only two Black women promoted to major during World War II, oversaw the unit by dividing women into three eight-hour shifts and sorting more than 65 000 pieces of mail during each shift. less than three months from now. Black American women were mistreated throughout the war effort.

Lieutenant Gertrude Marguerite ivory Bertram, a black army nurse corps member who worked at Fort Bragg and the West African Theater during World War II, recorded several accounts of her experience that provide insight into the expectations versus the realities of black women who joined the fight. Let's move on to the thought level to see if Bertrand was watching her with a first-class ticket to Fort Bragg North Carolina, conduct business at the train station.

Fort Bragg was one of the few facilities at the time that welcomed black nurses.

When she arrived and produced her ticket, the black pullman porter told her that she was causing trouble and said to her face girl, "You are out of your place," even though it meant preventing other black people from trying to exercise their rights after going back and forth with Gertrude. He put her in a drawing room on the train and wouldn't let her into the dining room car or even the restroom. She was traveling under government orders and was legitimately excited about her first class trip.

It was initially difficult for Bertram to reconcile her early experiences with the dignity and respect she had gained during nursing school. When they reached the top of the hill and the moonlight revealed her skin color, they dropped her back on the ground thanks to thought bubble. She also realized that the Pullman porter might have lost his job for allowing her to sit in first class, and she later described a moment when she collapsed while attempting to climb it one night when it was too dark to see two white nurses grab her on either side to pull

The only all-black divisions to fight in both World Wars One and II were the 320th Anti-Aircraft Barrage Balloon Battalion and the 761st Tank Battalion, which bulldozed their way through the hatred in Europe from both their enemies and their allies and emerged as formidable and honorable soldiers. However, who was there to have empathy for her bertram's experiences highlight only a fraction of what black men and women went through during the war?

The 370th infantry regiment and the 92nd Infantry Division

The 370th infantry regiment, also known as the "black unit," was made up of about 15 000 men, and its commanding officers were the only black soldiers to have all black officers. Tuskegee airmen, who were affectionately referred to as" the red tails," flew p-51 mustangs to accompany bomber pilots into enemy territory. This group, which was established in 1941, was a growing sentiment that black people should be fully integrated into the u.s. armed

Having received extensive training at the neighborhood army airfield, they are based in Tuskegee, Alabama.

The 370th infantry regiment, also known as the "black unit," was made up of about

15 000 men, and its commanding officers were the only black soldiers to have all black officers. Tuskegee airmen, who were affectionately referred to as" the red tails," flew p-51 mustangs to accompany bomber pilots into enemy territory. This group, which was established in 1941, was a growing sentiment that black people should be fully integrated into the u.s. armed

Having received extensive training at the neighborhood army airfield, they are based in Tuskegee, Alabama.

The Washington movement march was the most militant black political operation, so it didn't actually have to go well in the end.

We'll learn more about this in an upcoming episode, but in the early 1940s, it was established to demand that president Franklin D. Roosevelt treat black soldiers fairly. However, as the march's plans raised concerns about racial relations, Roosevelt became aware of them and signed executive orders on June 25, 1941.

Order 8802 forbade quote discrimination based on race, color, or national origin when hiring workers in the government or defense industries.

The Roosevelt administration was also responsible for the fair employment at its inception.

practices commission to address workplace discrimination Another campaign that black people undertook in the 1940s was James G. Thompson's double campaign to remind Americans that there was still much work to be done to combat racism at home, from being forced to work in mail rooms for menial tasks to dealing with jim crow thousands of miles away while consistently exceeding the expectations of their fellow citizens, such as the Tuskegee airmen when stationed in.

When they were moved to Italy in 1944 and given the chance, they shot down 12 German bombers in two days using the exact same second-hand planes, as has been the case in wars throughout history, despite being forced to operate secondhand p- 40 aircraft that were much slower than their German counterparts.

Black soldiers and civilians have not made any contributions to American history. even though the outcome of the war may have appeared very different, it's crucial that we remember how black people have always fought for a nation that doesn't always defend its citizens, as they did.