European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 21, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse Negro Valerai by Thomas Corpora up staff writer to May of 1966, in the Jungle War zones i Northwest of Saigon Joey Williams 19 a High school dropout braved heavy no Chine gun and mortar fire to Aid his buddies caught in an ambush. Williams a medic with a Rifle platoon of the 1st inf div crawled from Man Toman plugging gaping shrapnel wounds with thick dressings shooting morphine into another whose Arm had been shattered and telling another he would be Okay although the lower portion of his body was blown was hit three times by bullets a the Back in the legs and in one foot. Fortis heroism the army awarded spec. 4 Don Joey Williams of Memphis tenn.,the Bronze Star medal with a a for april 4, 1968, near main and Beals streets in downtown Memphis Joey Wil Liams then 21 and unemployed looted stores burned shops and fought the police and National guard. Six months after Joey won his def Bra lion on nov. 6, 1966, buddy Warrick 22, a High school dropout and a Rifleman distinguished himself in combat during a Battle in the Central Lowland of Viet Nam. Warrick ignored heavy enemy mortar fire and dragged a wounded buddy j20 Yards to safety. For his heroism the196th Light inf brigade awarded sgt. James buddy Warrick of Providence a 1., the army commendation medal with a a and the vietnamese govern ment decorated him with its Silver Star for aug. 1, 1967, buddy Warrick. Also unemployed went into the riot Tor streets of South Providence in a personally dangerous Effort to persuade negroes to Stop looting and burning and go Home. Williams and Warrick Are negroes and he thing that sent Joey into the streets to riot and buddy into the streets to Stop a riot was the different feelings each had about the United states. Williams Felt that after having serve Din Vietnam his country had failed to de liver on its Promise of democracy an equal Opportunity for everyone. Warrick believed that the delivery was slow that it was coming and he would get his. In the army both men saw democracy in action in equal opportunities for advancement in full integration. In Viet Nam both Learned there was Only one color Olive drab and Only one concern Battle performance. The Battle record of Joey buddy an thousands of their negro Brothers is Superb. Negroes make up not quite 10per cent of the total number of men in uniform according to the defense department but More than 17 per cent of the men assigned to combat occupy ions Are Black. In some elite airborne brigades negro soldiers number Between to and 45 percent of the troops. Almost one in four 24.2 per cent of the noncommissioned Battle leaders in Vietnam from squad leaders to Fiel first sergeants Are Black and negro of ices though Only 5 per cent of the army s officer corps command every i of of platoons to battalions. Others important staff jobs at every head quarters. In Vietnam the Only color is Olive drab and negro Battle record is Superb. A the negro Soldier has won More than his share of decorations in Vietnam including twice the nation s highest award for Devotion to duty the medal of Honor. One of the winners was pfc Mil ton Olive 19, who threw himself on a live hand grenade and gave his life to save four others both Blacks and Whites. Tributes to the negro s record in Viet Nam have been paid by everyone from congressmen to commanders to White comrades in arms. The old notion that they Are cowards has been disproved said Joseph w. Dalton jr., 26, of Schenectady n.y., former Marine lieutenant who is White. Negroes Are As Good fighting Menns Whites. There is no difference Over . William c. Westmoreland the former . Commander in Vietnam used the Opportunity of a speech before the All White legislature of South Caro Lina his Home state to single out the negro older for performance of the negro Soldier has been particularly inspiring to me Westmoreland said. They serve wit the tiling thai sent Joey into i rats fit riot and Ruddy into dry a to Stojin i riot tvs tie i Lings each had Arontt ii i ailed Sla sunday july 21, 1968 another occasion. Westmoreland said he had an intuitive feeling that the negro servicemen have a better understanding than the Whites of what the War is he referred to the involvement of Romany Black soldiers perhaps through a feeling of empathy in what the Mil itary likes to Call the Battle for the hearts and minds of the vietnamese peasant. Spec. 4 Michael Baker 21, of medic in the 1st Cav div is typical of that kind of negro Soldier. He has taught himself a few words of Vietnam Ese and on search operations in Village she seeks out the elders and tries to explain what the troops Are doing and also offers to treat sick villagers. Often Baker ends up being invited to drink Tea with these Village leaders and. When his unit pulls out he Lias left behind vietnamese who May not be friends of the United states but at Leas better understand the do. Al he most eloquent record of the Lack Soldier in combat is that written in his own blood. Between 1961 and the end of 1967, 14.1 per cent of All Battle deaths were negroes although negroes during those years averaged less than 10 per cent of the total troops in Viet Nam. The Vietnam War has been a widening experience for nearly every negro. His Battle record is a source of new Pride and new Confidence and by living among Whites in u truly integrated situation he has Learned that All White people Are not geniuses Imd All negroes Are most no roes leave the service do Ter mined to Advance in life and share in America s dream. After risking his life in the service of his country and in the process having experienced the most advanced form of integration in America s history wrote Whitney m. Young jr., head of the Urban league after a trip to Vietnam the negro Veteran is not prepared to return to the status quo. To regress culturally and socially or a he sets foot on american neither Joey Williams nor buddy War Rick was prepared to return to the status quo. I was going to get mine you know said Joey. I was going to go anywhere and do anything 1 you Settle for less when you go into the service said buddy. But when you come Home you want something despite what Black extremists would have you believe. Negro veterans Are not coming Home from Vietnam to Lead riots in the streets of America s cities this summer. A Small minority might. Others say their personal Circum stances at the time of a riot would de Termine whether they would participate. The general feeling among Black vet Erans and negro leaders scores of whom were interviewed by up correspondents across the country is that expressed by John Mcreynolds. Of Mont Gomery. Ala., a Veteran of 13 months in Vietnam rioting has done More harm than Good. You Don t prove anything with rioting this year approximately 41.000 negroes will be discharged from the armed forces. Between 5,000 and 15,000 of them will have served on the battlefields of Vietnam. Uppermost in the minds of most of them is the desire to share in the riches of America through work either in Good paying jobs that offer a future or in school which leads to Good Guy getting separated from the service said Otilio mighty. Urban league veterans affairs coordinator in Harlem and a Veteran himself is in my office tomorrow looking for a Job or trying to get into school 1 1 he Homecoming for the x e g r o i is critical. Many of them have lived with death for. A year or More in the service of their country. Many have been decorated by that country. Now they expect to have a full share in their country s wealth. But too often still they come Home to what Urban league director Oung called an America that May choose to ignore their sacrifices new skills and proven ability a society that continues to subject them and their families to discrimination Joey Williams 21. The Memphis medic who was decorated in Vietnam for valor was so sure he was going Roget a Job As a nurse s aide or medi Cal technician at the Memphis Veter ans Hospital that i was even making plans to spend the a year later he was still unemployed. Samuel j. Winston 21, of Boston a Veteran of a year in Vietnam has been trying to move his three Sisters and himself out of Boston s Roxbur ghetto for three months. We be had promises of apartments but once we arrive to look at them the people say they Are not interested in renting to us. They Don t want any negroes in the Jesse j. Parker 22, of Pittsburgh won a distinguished service Cross the army s second highest award for bravery for ignoring enemy fire three times to Rescue wounded comrades. When he got Home he found that people did t seem to appreciate my efforts in Vietnam. Most soul $ � of the stars and stripes Page 11
