[VOA]

I tell ya what I give those men who were black and joined the Corp credit.

Any and all colors...bless 'em all.

With regard to the black volunteers/draftees, they surely did have
a hard shake.
And even though it was a dramatic portrayal, I remember one of the
main charachters in "Roots" that went off to WWI, only to realize
that he was returning home to a much less pleasant time than he had in
the Army while in France.

I wouldn't be suprised if many black volunteers joined up with hopes
of being so outstanding...that maybe things "back home" would be
loosened up in recognition of their effort/sacrifice.

All of the subject above is worthy of some mention in "The War",
I just hope that after seeing the whole show, Burns' treatment
of race relations and the Japanese-American internment will look
like it was not out of proportion to the work as a whole.

[mware]

Yes, I am sure the fathers of those world war one, doughboy thought things would change while fighting in the civil war.

[mware]

Damn, suddenly the screen became all misty, when they told about Babe’s death.

[Interious]

I’m reminded of the movie “The Tuskegee Airmen”, a must see.

I don’t know how historically accurate it is, but is inspirational and deeply moving, especially the final moments.

Highly recommended. Great men, the Airmen.

[mass55th]

"With regard to the black volunteers/draftees, they surely did have a hard shake. "

One of the things that I learned from researching black troops in the Civil War was that in each ensuing war, it seems they had to re-prove themselves to be accepted as soldiers. If you go back in history, initially they were all used for fatigue and bull work. It wasn't until later in each war that the black soldier was allowed to see action.

During the years I was doing research on black Civil War soldiers, I met the grandson of one of the first men recruited into the 54th Massachusetts (movie "Glory"). This gentleman had retired as a Colonel from the U.S. Army. He eventually ended up being the commanding officer of an integrated unit during Truman's Presidency. He had initially been a member of the all-black paratrooper unit, the Triple Nickel. He said they continually practiced jumping out of planes. They got so good at it that they could put a chalk mark on the outside of the plane as they jumped. They kept hoping they'd be called for deployment overseas. He told me that one morning they were told to get their gear together for a jump, and they all thought that this was it, they were going overseas. But as it turns out, they were sent out west to fight fires. The unit never did get overseas. He finally quit the unit and enlisted in the Army where he ended up in the 92nd Infantry in Italy. During the Korean War, he was at Heartbreak Ridge. I felt very lucky to have been able to meet this gentleman and to listen to the story of his career.