Hi all
Just watched a very interesting programme linked into the Olympics,it was about Vernon Baker the black soldier of the 92nd Inf Div who was awarded the CMOH many many years after fighting in Italy near Torino,in WW2.
I must admit i was very humbled and by his attitude as to how he was treated which was awful i use that word as i would not be able to to put into words on this site how ashamed i am of how these troops were treated.
When he attacked the castle position with 25 men he completed his objective and found a route for further attacks upon making his withdrawl he called for Artillery fire to cover his withdrawl,they did not blieve that he could have got to where he was as they were a black section.
Of the 25 men that went up 19 were killed they had over run numerous gun positions and had cut the german lines of communication.
When he returned to the company HQs with the dog tags of his 19 men he was berated by his commanding officer for the loss of his helmet.
during his action there was no mention by his commanding officer or the fact that the white officer in charge with them bugged out taking the radio with him.
He appeared to be a quite man not bitter in his life now at 82 and failing health a better man than me i feel, and from the image of the cemetary in Italy where these brave men both black and white now lay equality in the white cross that markes each grave.
The best tv i have seen for a long long time and very thought provoking and i must admit a tear was shed.
There were a few things that he said that i will be imparting to my two sons as thet move from adolesents to this crezy world we live in.
Chris

Yes, I agree that was a very well done story ... about the only decent "people story" the network put on the whole time ...

You can find Vernon Baker's story, and many others, in "The Right to Fight: A History of African Americans in the Military", by Gerald Astor.

John

Hey Chris, thanks for bringing this up. If you shed only a tear, you are made of far sterner stuff than me, my friend. By the time of his reunion with the Partisan, I was weeping openly- not only in shame for the disgusting condition these heroes had to endure, but with chest bursting pride for the true spirit of honor embodied in this man and all others like him. My (almost)5yr. old watched it with me & became so concerned for me that he asked to turn it off repeatedly. Gotta love kids .
Anyway, definitely going to be following up on this story(the name of his book was something like "Unending Valor"???) and we'll also pick up Astor's book. I've got a feeling they'll be joining "It's Not About The Bike" & Every Second Counts"(Lance Armstrong) on the Inspiration Shelf...
Pax-RobH

I didn't get a chance to see this story, but I did see Mr. Baker's story on The History Channel's show, Delayed Honor. It was a show on several African-American soldiers from WWII who didn't get the Medal of Honor they should have until many years later. Mr Baker was the only one still alive to collect his medal. Watching the tear run down his cheek when it was hung around his neck brought a tear to me.

The way that man, and thousands like him, was treated was beyond shameful. You'd think the military, of all organizations, would remember the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the Spanish American War, the wars fought against the Indians (the term "Buffalo Soldiers" was coined by American Indians because they thought the black cavalrymens' hair reminded them of buffalo fur), World War I, etc., where black soldiers performed their duty with dedication and sacrifice. The Nisei had many of the same mountains to climb.

Not a very proud moment in our history, to say the least, and the dignity displayed by Mr. Baker was humbling. I'm not sure I'd have turned the other cheek under the same circumstances.

Barry

Let us not forget the context of the times. It would be exceptional for a white person to not act that way, which is not an excuse, just a fact.

It is a shame it happened that way, but the alternative, say of no blacks in service, would have prevented the gains that followed because we'd have to go thru the transition sometime.

The show did a good job noting the follow-on when Truman ordered the services desegregated, the generals resisted, and he "outted them" in public.

Things didn't get much better in the Korean War, but in both the short & long haul, the services integrated much faster than the civilian side did or has.

Moderator edit: John, I'm sorry but I had to delete your "flame on, flame off comment." It was just a bit over the top for me. I understand where you are coming from, and there are plenty of places where you can post things like this, but Armorama isn't one of them.


John