European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 5, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse A race for Victory from the cover lowering racial bars. We hoped that the desegregation on the Battlefield would carry Over to the american society. The army found they usually had to have Black officers to Lead Black troops Whites Gen rally aggravated the Harrington creator of the famous Bootsy cartoon followed the Black 332nd fighter so in campaigns in Italy and France in 1944. He was also the press spokesman for the National association for the and Vance mint of coloured people during the War years. While Jim Crow or segregation gripped part of the United states some White americans wondered whether Blacks 1 made Good soldiers and 2 would fight against Axis forces. For Cecil White a retired army major and world War ii Veteran now living in Mainz Germany the. Question was pure hypocrisy. Quot fighting a War Isnit difficult a says White Quot but dying is and no Black Soldier would choose to die to maintain a segregated society but they could for a democratic a Alabama born White said he never believed f Quot Blacks wont fight and joined the 92nd inf div Buffalo in August 1944 when it was packing for the italian front. White remembers the morale of Black troops was at an extreme Low. They were getting ready to go abroad and die for a country that discriminated against them. Quot As a Black officer a says White who was a second lieutenant at the time Quot i could Only get service at the Camp Henry Virginia officers club at a window. The Black troops use the service club and there Wasny to any for them. That was going to be the last bit of american soil that Many of those men were see i Hadnot seen discrimination As bad As on that base As i faced in while stationed at Camp Patrick va., White protested Jim Crow policies. Because the morale was so bad his protest led to the division becoming into. Grated. The morale problem disappeared. History shows that Blacks were involved in wars on american soil Ever since pre colonial Days. They were a major Factor on both sides of the front during the civil War. Perhaps the question of african american fighting capabilities Only serves to mask deep misgivings about giving weapons to the disenfranchised. Joseph West jr., a retired air Force major from Newport news va., says he ran into Milder racism than most Blacks in the segregated army. He recalls his assignment in new York City Quot with Whites and Blacks talking together sitting together and eating in the same restaurants and wondered what that would be like in the drafted into the army in 1941 and opting for the army air Force West considers himself fortunate because friction was minimal. West spent the War years at several Sites in the Pacific. New Guinea was the hottest spot because of japanese bombing raids he was stationed with the 5th air Force 1954th quartermaster corps trucking company aviation and saw the War come to an end in Manila years ago West came to Europe As a Retiree. He planned to live All Over the continent but ended up homesteading in Frankfurt Germany. Not All Blacks serving in world War ii were As fortunate As West. Gene Thompson like the majority of african americans who served their country was t excited by the Prospect of War. Quot you were ordered to so you went a says Thompson who lives in Cambridge mass. A it was a Shock right from the beginning. I was sent to fort Eustis Virginia and was confronted with segregation. A couple of Guys deserted in new York. They decided they weren t going overseas to be killed and they did no to want to go Thompson remembers apartheid gripping the South. �?o1 had Basic in Virginia and then was sent to Camp Cruber in Oklahoma for training with the��,.� a a a a. A a a National Archive an american tank unit in England makes last minute adjustments before heading for the continent in �?T44, 401st quartermaster truck company. We had a Little Corner of the base which was occupied by the 42nd Rainbow infantry division a says Thompson. Quot All the officers were White but there were some Black ones at Battery level a. Thompson says there Wasny to much time for animosity Between the races because the army was training quickly for the big move a the invasion of Europe through Normandy. Quot but i do remember that Oklahoma was terrible especially for us Blacks from the North a he says Quot we even go through the while Section of the base in a cab. Quot on the Way Home to Boston before being shipped out they made the Blacks sit in a rickety old Wagon of the train. A couple of White Guy Sec knew sat Down with us but were thrown out by the conductor. So were Gelting ready logo overseas to fight for our country and you can to get a decent seat on a train.�?�. England was Fine says Thompson but soldiers had Little time for anything but work. Quot we arrived at a base near Southampton in 1943 and worked hard moving ordnance. There were dry runs being made Cou Lucsy Gene Thompson a an run Smith in �?T45 in Munich. Over the Channel and Back every night. We knew something big was in the air a the invasion a but we were never told about a Day until it actually on a Day plus 5, Thompson by then a Corporal boarded a ship with his unit that look it most of the Way across the English Channel. At sea the unit boarded tank Landing ships lists and then drove trucks onto . A i believe it was Omaha Beach because the first town we came to was ,�?� he says. Quot most of our work was on the beaches keeping the equipment moving from one Village to the next As the army advanced. I remember care Tan and . You can to imagine How much equipment and personnel there was the army was moving so fast they formed the red Ball express to bring up the supplies which we broke Down for the Thompsons unit went through France saw the liberation of Paris and rolled into Germany. A a Heid e Lberg w a s the e first City i saw a h e s ays. Quot soldiers went around kicking people out of their Homes. One family had to leave with their supper still on the table. I stomach that behaviour. You had to Cany your weapon with you at All times because you might get popped off by a German sniper or sniping there was another problem Black soldiers had to Deal with their comrades in arms a prejudiced White americans. A they were always calling you names or even trying to drive Over you on the Street if they had a Chance a says Thompson. Quot they really resented Blacks with German girls. But we never called the maps during these incidents. We settled it on the spot and moved Thompson spent his last Days overseas in Munich Germany. His unit help bring concentration Camp inmates to their Homes. A i took a truck of former prisoners from Dachau to Pilsen a he says. Quot it was a beastly hot Day. You cannot imagine anything like Dachau. I talked to the germans who lived immediately outside the Camp. They said they had no idea of what was happening in the Camp. But today no one can Tell me Dachau did no to happen. I saw it a after the War Thompson returned to civilian life. He worked for the . Postal service until he retired a few years a b. Jimmy Walker is another Veteran of the segregated army Walker recently celebrated his Soth birthday and still puts in a 40-hour week As a Cook at the Mainz Kastel storage station in Germany. Born in Mon cello fla., Walker says when president Roosevelt ordered every male to Cluster for
