Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, February 27, 1995 TAG: 9503010002
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: NICOLE L. KINSER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
In the early 20th century, one man saw the need - and took on the mission - of teaching black Americans about their history. Carter Godwin Woodson. I'm sure that some of you have never heard his name, for he is less well known than many other leaders who came before and after him. But his role was crucial in fostering the self-respect of all black Americans. He had much to say about black Americans in the military. He which is one reason you may not know of him. He was a man ahead of his time. But if he were alive today, he would be immensely popular. His viewpoint and his outspoken style were far more compatible with the climate of America today than of his own time. You probably won't be surprised to learn that he made enemies. What may surprise you is that Yes, Woodson often was at odds with his time.
Woodson was angered by widely believed untruths about black Americans, untruths American textbooks did nothing to dispel. To unmask them, he organized the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, which published the Journal of Negro History. The historian Arthur Schlesinger said Woodson ``enlisted the interest and talents of historians of both races and maintained exacting standards of research and presentations which made the journal rank among the best academic periodicals in the country.''
Woodson's passion was to develop a sense of self-worth within the black community. Much of his anger can be explained by the institutional prejudice he saw against black men in military service. In World War I, more than 400,000 black Americans served in the armed forces - in segregated units. They were considered mentally unable and morally unfit to serve on the front lines.
That myth was shattered by the 360th Infantry Regiment, an all-black unit. After supporting the French army for 191 days on the front lines, that regiment received the French Croix de Guerre for bravery in combat. That is black history. That is American history.
Black nurses also served with distinction in the war, especially during the devastating flu epidemic of 1918, which killed millions. Working side by side with their white colleagues, they treated patients regardless of race. One historian wrote that ``although these nurses were required to live in segregated quarters, the strength and dignity of the black women prevailed, and they served their country and practiced their profession with great skill and distinction.'' That is black history. That is American history.
Instead of returning home from the Great War as heroes, black veterans found their prospects in America had not improved. What's more, those on active duty had been reduced in postwar cutbacks from 400,000 to 11,000, less than 3 percent of their wartime numbers. The military as a whole was reduced to about 13 percent of wartime strength. Army officials believed black Americans would make poor soldiers, despite their brave performance in combat. Of this discrimination, Woodson wrote: ``For a time, the Negroes were shown a great deference while being used as means to an end. The Negro mistook this for a permanent attitude, and when deflation followed inflation, his sorrows multiplied as fast as his joy had during the World War.''
As World War II approached, President Roosevelt realized that black Americans had to be mobilized. The Selective Service Act of 1940 stated that ``in the selection and training of men under this act and in the interpretation and execution of this act, there shall be no discrimination against any person on account of race.'' It also stated that black soldiers would not be segregated or kept out of combat units.
Of the 1 million black Americans in uniform during World War II, perhaps those who fought with the most distinction were the airmen of the experimental Tuskegee Training Program, which trained Negroes to become aviators. Skeptics believed Negroes incapable of mastering the complex technology and skills of aviation. Their skepticism was without basis. Many German combat aircraft fell in flames from the skies of Europe, shot down by the Tuskegee pilots.
Perhaps the most famous of all pilots in the Tuskegee program was Daniel ``Chappie'' James, a combat veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam. James flew 78 combat missions into North Vietnam and led a flight in which seven Soviet MiG 21s were destroyed, the highest kill of a mission during the Vietnam War. At the end of his military career, James received his fourth star, becoming a full general. That is black history. That is American history.
Although many black Americans fought with distinction in World War II, they returned home to a segregated American society and a segregated American military. Most black soldiers at that time could not meet the tough educational requirements to re-enlist, much less to become commissioned officers. The Army brass had a tough time explaining that only 48 officers were black in a Regular Army complement of more than 20,000 black soldiers. Unfortunately that, also, is black history. That, also, is American history.
Pressure grew from the black community to integrate the armed forces. In 1948, President Truman issued Executive Order 9981, which called for equal treatment for all members of the armed forces.
Shortly before his death in 1950, Woodson warned America that tolerance of racism and segregation soon would end: ``The colored peoples, constituting the majority of the population of the universe, will eventually find the means to make themselves felt in international circles, where the destinies of nations will be eventually determined.''
History bore out Woodson's prophecy that segregation soon would end in the United States. We may take pride, however, that he was mistaken in his belief that change would occur only as the result of pressure applied in ``international circles.''
Recent Department of Defense figures show that black Americans comprise about 20 percent of the military force - higher than their proportion of the overall U.S. population, which is about 12.4 percent. In the Army, the largest of the military services, more than 11 percent of commissioned officers are black. Of warrant officers, nearly 11 percent are black. Of sergeants major, the Army's top enlisted soldiers, nearly 28 percent are black. Of the 323 general officers in the Army in December 1994, 26 are black; they are 8 percent of the Army's general officer corps.
Is opportunity equal in every military service and every unit of the armed forces? Despite spectacular progress, few would be so bold as to claim that it is. But the simple statistics of rank and race bear out that with each passing year, opportunity does steadily become more nearly equal.
Army Gen. Colin Powell was the first, and so far the only, black American to become the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His brilliant service as chairman redefined the role, and America was blessed to have his military leadership during Operation Desert Storm. Even those with the highest potential for service cannot realize that potential without the opportunity to serve. For Gen. Powell, America provided that opportunity.
To what extent do we Americans owe our blessings of equal opportunity to the efforts of Carter Godwin Woodson, and to others who have lit their beacons from his? Woodson focused a hot, withering beam of light on the once-prevalent myth that black Americans are incapable of greatness. Though Woodson no longer stands watch, his beacon still burns, and we still look to it. It is not our only beacon now; there are many others to help us navigate. Perhaps, some day, when we are confident that we have charted and channeled the dangerous waters of racial prejudice, we won't rely on it so much.
On that day, society will view black history no longer as a separate book but as an important theme that weaves through all American history. On that day, society will view the achievement of black Americans as we view the achievements of other Americans - person by person.
We Americans are proud of our diversity; we celebrate and honor our unique traditions, our special heritages, whatever they may be. But regardless of our roots, we remain - first, last and always - Americans.
Nicole L. Kinser is a public affairs officer for the Department of Defense.
by CNB