Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 19, 1995 TAG: 9502220034
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-14 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
It took 50 years, but the crew of the only World War II Navy warship manned by blacks has been officially recognized for risking their lives on a stormy North Atlantic voyage in 1944.
Every man on the USS Mason, a destroyer-escort, was praised for heroism and outstanding performance. But the official commendation didn't come until Thursday - half a century after the historic transatlantic adventure.
``I'm very grateful, and I feel so happy about the whole thing,'' James Graham, a radio operator aboard the Mason, said at a ceremony.
Navy Secretary John Dalton presented the honors to the 72-year-old Graham and 11 crew members, who bear-hugged and slapped each other's backs.
At a Friday night ceremony honoring black veterans, President Clinton saluted them for ``never giving up on America,'' though segregation in the military persisted until 1948.
``Wouldn't it be nice if the rest of America worked together as well as the U.S. military,'' Clinton said.
In October 1944, the Mason guided part of a convoy of Army tugs and barges to England through 90 mph winds and 40-foot waves. After making land, brave crewmen climbed on deck to weld cracks that threatened to tear the ship apart before they went back to sea to rescue the rest of the tugs.
A recommendation for letters of commendation from the convoy's commander somehow got buried in Navy archives and was only discovered during research for a recent book and documentary film.
``I think it's an important part of Navy history that needs to be told,'' Dalton said after the ceremony.
Their actions and determination helped remove barriers and push the U.S. military toward full integration, according to the documentary, which was shown during the ceremony at the Navy Memorial.
In the book published this month by the Naval Institute Press, crew members recall the 31 stormy days spent at sea. They also talk about service in a segregated Navy that had assigned most blacks to be cooks and waiters, and the prejudice and discrimination they faced.
Charles Divers of Maywood, Ill., believes white Navy higher-ups quashed the recommendation because of the skin color of the Mason's crew. ``They didn't want us to do too good,'' said Divers, 73, a quartermaster aboard the Mason.
by CNB