Few people are
aware that when Paul Revere announced the British were coming, Black Minutemen
responded. When General George Washington made his historic boat ride across
the Delaware River, Prince Whipple, a Black soldier was in the boat with him.
Over 5,000 Blacks fought on behalf of the Colonies in the Revolutionary
War.
Fewer are aware
of the Native American and Hispanic American contributions to the Revolutionary
War efforts. Both groups joined with the Colonist to repel the British Army. As
a matter of fact, the Native American community contributed to the survival of
the colonist when they arrived on the continent in the 1600’s. Had it not been
for their friendship and help, the early settlers would not have survived the
first winter. Tribal participation in the military affairs of the nation
extends into the Civil War. In 1861, the Cherokee Nation joined forces with the
Confederate Army and the Seminole and Creek Nations joined with the Union
Forces. There is a story that has been passed down about what happened when a
Cherokee unit led by Stand Watie met up with a Seminole and Creek unit fighting
for the North. The way the story is told, the two sides refused to fight each
other and parted ways.
The legacy of
people of Hispanic heritage extends from those early periods in time through the
establishment of the thirteen British Colonies. When the Colonist rebelled
against the British in 1770, the people of Hispanic heritage who had become a
part of the colonial establishment supported their claim for freedom. When the
Revolution began; George Farragut, a patriot of Spanish heritage, joined the Continental
Navy. George Farragut rose to the rank of Admiral and went on to distinguish
himself in the War of 1812. The name Farragut holds a prominent place in United
States Naval History. The Admiral’s son, David Glasgow Farragut rose to the
rank of Admiral in the Union Navy. He distinguished himself by leading the
fleet to victory in the Battle of Mobile Bay. At no time in this nation’s
history has Hispanic participation been restricted in the armed forces.
Following the
Revolution, some of the slaves that served were given their freedom. Some free
Blacks received land grants for their service. However, their contributions
were not given much recognition after the war.
From the close of
the Revolutionary War to the War of 1812, Black participation in the Armed
Force was virtually eliminated.
We reappeared in
uniform in the War of 1812. The War was primarily fought on the open seas and
the Great Lakes. Ten to twenty percent of the ship’s crew members were Black.
The merits of their service were highly acclaimed by Admiral Oliver Perry, who
initially objected to their service. Following the naval battle that freed the Great
Lakes from the British control, he spoke of his Black crewmembers as
“absolutely insensible to danger.”
Black soldiers
also served as a part of the limited ground action that occurred during the
war. The Louisiana Legislature authorized the enlistment of free Black
Land-owners into the State’s Militia.
The battalion was called the Free Men of Color. They helped to save the City
of New Orleans from the threat of British forces in 1815. Following the War, the Black contribution was
quickly forgotten. Black soldiers and sailors were not allowed to march in the
parade celebrating the victory.
The Revolution
and the War of 1812 provided the societal disruption that permitted many Black
slaves to escape. Many joined the Seminole Indians in Florida. The area was
under the claim of England and Spain. Neither country would agree to return the
slaves to their irate white owners. Many
Blacks intermarried into the tribe and became farmers, counselors and tribal
leaders. In 1812, the British rebuilt an abandoned Spanish fort in Florida
approximately (65) miles from the
territory border of the United States. The fort became known as the Negro Fort.
It served as the base for raids that were being conducted into Georgia.
American troops attacked and destroyed the fort in 1816 beginning what became
the first of two Seminole Wars. They recaptured many of the runaway slaves and
returned them to their white owners.
The second
Seminole War was fought from 1835 to 1842.
There was no Black military participation. Blacks were barred from
serving in the military between 1820 and 1861.
In 1861 at the
onset of the Civil War, Black enlistment in the military was still barred.
Before I go any further in talking about the
Civil War, let me make one point clear: The Civil War was not fought for the purpose
of ending slavery. It was fought to
bring the South back into the Union. The Confederacy was utilizing slaves as
laborers, cooks and teamsters. Some were used to work on the farms to free the
white landowners for military service. The Emancipation Proclamation was issued
as a means to destabilize the South’s labor force and weaken their
economy. It was thought, the action
would serve to shorten the war. It also provided the North with the opportunity
to supplement its shortage of manpower in the Union Army and Navy by granting
Blacks the opportunity to serve.
General
Benjamin Butler circumvented the Union policy prohibiting the use of Blacks in
the war in 1861. However, it was not until August 1862 that the Secretary of
War approved the enlistment of Black Soldiers in the Union defense. The
decision did not sit well with some members of the white public. Some feared allowing Blacks to be armed. Others
objected because they felt it would embolden the demands of the Black public
for equal rights.
President Lincoln described his decision to allow Black
enlistment saying the following: “This is not a question of sentiment or taste,
but one of physical force which may be measured and estimated as horsepower and
steam power are measured and estimated. Keep it and you can save the Union.
Throw it away - and the Union goes with it.”
Calling on Men of
Color to enlist in the Union Army, Fredrick Douglass re-defined the Civil War
to the Black public as an opportunity to demonstrate our worthiness of equal
rights.
Quoting Douglass, “Once let the
Black man get upon his person the brass letters U.S. let him get an eagle on
his button and a musket on his shoulder and bullets in his pocket, and there is
no power on earth which can deny that he has earned the right to citizenship in
the United States of America.”
In January 1863,
an all-Black regiment that had been raised in South Carolina and a volunteer
regiment in Kansas were mustered into Federal Service. Massachusetts
established the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. Some of you may be
familiar with them from the movie titled; “Glory.” The regiment famed itself at
the charge of Fort Wagner in South Carolina. Many members of the regiment died
in that battle.
The contributions
of Black soldiers and sailors during the Civil War Era were numerous. By the
War’s end in 1865, it is estimated that 180,000 Blacks served in the Union
Army and 30,000) served in the Union Navy. Over 37,000 were killed. The high
casualty rates were due to bad medical care, poor equipment, inadequate
training and the “no quarter” policy of the Confederate forces against Blacks
facing them in combat. Another 200,000
served in service capacities as laborers, dockworkers and teamsters. Twelve
Black soldiers were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Immediately
following the war, the number of Blacks allowed to remain on active duty was reduced
to 15,000.
The average
enlistment of Blacks in the Civil War was for 3 years. However, since most Blacks were barred from enlisting until
1863, most still had a year to serve after the war ended in 1865. The Federal Government
believing it was necessary to maintain a military presence in the South,
stationed large numbers of Black Soldiers in that region.
New state
militias were established in the Southern States. Blacks made up a large
portion of the militias. In South Carolina and Louisiana, 9 Blacks were
appointed to the positions of General Officers. Among the 9 was Robert Small,
the harbor pilot who along with 7 slaves seized the Confederate ship
“Planter” in 1862 in the harbor of Charleston. They navigated the ship through
the Confederate defense, and surrendered it to the Union.
Moving through the period of Reconstruction,
we enter what I personally call another sad day in American History: The Indian Campaigns.
In 1866 the
United States Senate passed a bill establishing the regular Army at 67
Regiments. Six were designated to be composed of Black Troops. The number was
later reduced to 4, the 9th and 10th Cavalries and the 24th and 25th Infantry Regiments. The regiments were divided into companies or
battalion size units and scattered across the West. They were assigned the
mission of protecting the settlers moving West, guarding the mail, protecting
the railroad and suppressing hostile Indian tribes.
The Native American
population resented the encroachment on their land. Black soldiers clashed with
Indian warriors in over 100 battles. As the story is told, in respect of the
soldiers’ bravery and the texture of their hair, our Native American Brothers
and sisters dubbed the men, Buffalo Soldiers.
I must mention during that period
of American History the Native American population were targeted for
extinction. Prior to the Western expansion, it is estimated that the Native
American population had numbered in the millions. By the end of the war in
1890, it had been reduced to 250,000. Eighteen Buffalo Soldiers were awarded
the Congressional Medal of Honor.
During the period
of the Indian Campaigns, enrollment was opened for Blacks in the Army Military
Academy, West Point. In 1870, James Webster of South Carolina became the first
Black cadet to attend the academy. In 1874, the academy determined that he was
deficient in his studies and terminated his appointment.
Henry O. Flipper
became the first Black graduate of the academy in 1877. Following his
graduation, he was assigned to the all-Black 10th Cavalry. I would like to
remind you that during this period in American History, Black Officers could not
serve in command of White troops. They did not have the same opportunities as
their white counter-parts for advancement in rank because of the limitations of
assignments. In 1881, Lt. Flipper was charged with embezzling public funds, and
was discharged from the Army for conduct unbecoming an officer. He spent the
remainder of his life trying to clear his name.
In 1976, at the behest of
Commander Wesley A. Brown, the first Black graduate of the United States Naval Academy
at Annapolis, the Army conducted a review of the charges that led to Lt.
Flipper’s dishonorable discharge. Lt. Flipper was pardoned and the United
States Army issued a honorable discharge in his name.
We, the National
Veterans Coalition are currently working on overturning a similar injustice
committed against Colonel Charles Young, the third Black graduate of West Point
in 1889. In a military career that spanned 32 years, Colonel Young became the
highest rank Black Officer in the United States Armed Forces. At the outbreak
of World War I, he was in line to become the first Black General in the regular
United States Armed Forces. During his military tenure, he served as a
soldier/diplomat to the countries of Liberia, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and
the Philippine Islands. He was the first Black American to serve as a
superintendent in the National Park Service.
After achieving all this, he was declared medically unfit to
serve and was discharged from the United States Army at the onset of World War I.
To prove his fitness, Colonel Young rode on horseback and walked 500 miles
from Ohio to Washington, DC to appeal his discharge. He ultimately was returned to active duty
just days before the Armistice was signed ending the War. Colonel Young died in
1922 on a mission in Nigeria.
Colonel Charles
Young holds a very special place in our history. I would like to acquaint you
to him through his eulogy written by W.E. B. Du Bois, Historian and Founder of
NAACP.
“The life of
Charles Young was a triumph of tragedy. No one ever knew the truth about the
Hell he went through at West Point. He seldom even mentioned it. The pain was
too great. Few knew what faced him always in his army life. It was not enough
for him to do well-he must always do better; and so much and so conspicuously better,
as to disarm the scoundrels that ever trailed him. He lived in the army
surrounded by insult and intrigue and yet he set his teeth and kept his soul
serene and triumphed.
He was one of
the few men I know who literally turned the other cheek with Jesus Christ. He
was laughed at for it and his own people chided him bitterly, yet he persisted.
When a white Southern pygmy at West Point protested at taking food from a dish
passed first to Young, Young passed it to him first and afterward to himself.
When officers of inferior rank refused to salute a “colored officer” he saluted
them. Seldom did he lose his temper, seldom complain.
With his own
people he was always the genial, hearty, half-boyish friend. He kissed the
girls, slapped the boys on the back, threw his arms about his friends,
scattered his money in charity; only now and then behind the Veil did his
nearest comrades see the Hurt and pain graven on his heart; and when it
appeared he promptly drowned it in his music-his beloved music, which always
poured from his quick, nervous fingers, to caress and bathe his soul.
Steadily,
unswervingly he did his duty. And Duty to him, as too few modern men, was
spelled in capitals. It was his lode-star, his soul; and neither force nor
reason swerved him from it.
His second going to Africa, after a terrible attack
of black water fever, was suicide. He knew it. His wife knew it. His friends
knew it. He had been sent to Africa because the Army considered his blood pressure
too high to let him go to Europe! They sent him there to die. They sent him
there because he was one of the very best officers in the service and if he had
gone to Europe he could not have been denied the stars of a General. They could
not stand a black American General. Therefore, they sent him to the fever coast
of Africa. They ordered him to make roads back in the haunted jungle. He knew
what they wanted and intended. He could have escaped it by accepting his
retirement from active service, refusing his call to active duty and then he
could have lounged and lived at leisure on his retirement pay. But Africa
needed him. He did not yell and collect money and
advertise great schemes and parade in crimson-he just went quietly, ignoring
appeal and protest.
He is dead. But
the heart of the Great Black Race, the Ancient of Days-the undying and
Eternal-rises and salutes his shining memory: Well done! Charles Young, Soldier
and Man and unswerving Friend.”
Colonel Young was
buried overseas. It took the persistent efforts of his wife and the NAACP to
have his body exhumed and returned to the United States. He was re-buried in
Arlington National Cemetery on June 1,
1923.
Every Black Flag Officer past and present in the United States Armed
Forces owe the Colonel a debt of gratitude. He paved the way for their
opportunities. We have called on President Obama, the United States Congress
and the Department of the Army to grant Colonel Young in death the honor he
earned in life – a promotion to the rank of Brigadier General. We are spearheading an effort to have a monument
of his likeness erected in the Nation’s Capital.
In 1939 the
United States Military appointed Benjamin O. Davis, Sr. as the nation’s first
Black General in the regular Armed Forces. His son, Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., the
fourth Black Graduate of West Point became the first Black General in the
United States Air Forces in 1954.
It took some very
special individuals to endure what Colonel Young and both General Davis’ had to
face in an effort to serve this nation.
You have probably
heard of Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders. They mounted the famous charge
up San Juan Hill in Cuba during the Spanish American War. The notoriety of that
charge helped Teddy Roosevelt become the 26th President of the United States.
However, few people are aware that the All-Black 24th Infantry Regiment was with
him for that great assault. They provided him and the Rough Riders with the
ground support necessary to make the charge successful. Six Black Soldiers were
awarded the Medal of Honor for Valor in the Spanish American War.
Many people are
not aware that the 369th Infantry Regiment was the first Black Troops to see
combat in World War I. The United States Army questioned the mental aptitude of
the Black Soldiers to face combat against the highly trained and more educated
Germans. The regiment was placed on loan to the French 4th Army. The regiment
was sent to the front line where they served a record 191 days in the trenches.
Two of its members Needham Roberts and Henry Johnson became the first Americans awarded the French
Croix de Guerra Medal for Gallantry in
combat. By the end of the war, the
entire regiment had received the
prestigious award. They were the highest decorated Black Soldiers in World War
I.
In 1986, the United States Army reviewed the historical
records of the War, and determined that one Black Soldier, Corporal Freddie Stower
was entitled to the Congressional Medal of Honor. He was honored for Valor in
an action that occurred in 1918 while serving in France. It took 68 years for Corporal Stower to
receive his earned recognition posthumously. We still find it hard to believe
that out of 400,000 Blacks who served in World War I, only one was found worthy
of the Medal of Honor. They need to
check the files of the French Government.
Black Veterans
returning to the United States at the end of World War I found that little had
changed. Jim Crow Laws were still in effect, and several Black Veterans in
uniform had been assaulted by white mobs at railroad stations. There were
increases in the number of Blacks lynched - and a resurgence of Ku Klux Klan
activities. The unrest was blamed on the returning Black veterans. Whites
accused them of being infested with “foreign ideas” and influenced by foreign
women. Members of the War Department
argued for the removal of all-Blacks from the peacetime Army. Only 3,600 Blacks remained in the Army by 1939
when mobilizing manpower began in preparation for World War II. The Draft was
instituted in 1940 and Blacks were allowed to register.
Over 2.5 million Blacks registered for the Draft. By the end
of World War II, approximately 1.2 million had served. The reason we are here today
is to formally recognize this “Day of Honor” recognizing Black and World War II
Minority Veterans in Philadelphia.
There are many
first that could be acknowledged pertaining to World War II. Everybody has
heard of the Tuskegee Airmen. It’s reported that they never lost a bomber while
flying escort. (Without a doubt that was a major accomplishment.) How many of
you are aware of the 761st “Black Panther” Tank Battalion? As a part of the
Third Army, under the command of General George Patton, they were the first
Allied Force to cross the Rhine River into Germany. They served a record 183
consecutive days in combat. The battalion spearheaded over 30 major assaults,
and liberated a concentration camp. They
suffered a casualty rate of fifty percent. Between 1945 and 1976 they were
nominated 6 times for the Presidential Unit Citation.
The award was finally bestowed upon them in 1978, by
Clifford Alexander, the first Black Secretary of the Army.
Black Women played
a major part in the War. While most Black WAC s served in the United States,
some served overseas. Black women from the Army and Army Service Forces were
brought together to form the 6888th Central Postal Battalion. In 1945, they
were sent to England and France to establish a central directory for the mail
sent to troops in the European Theater. They cleared up a back-log of 3,000,000 pieces of undelivered mail that accumulated before they arrived.
Black Women also
served in the Nurse Corps in all branches of the services. In 1943 there were
only 160 Black nurses commissioned in the Army. They were only assigned to
the 4 Army hospitals designated to treat Black Soldiers.
The Navy
commissioned it first 13 Black Officers. They became known as the Golden
Thirteen. The Navy commissioned 2
ships staffed with all-Black crews, the Destroyer Escort “USS Mason” and the submarine
chaser “PC1264.” A Navy mess man by the name of Dorie Miller shot down 4
enemy aircraft at Pearl Harbor. Personally, I believe he should be awarded the
Congressional Medal of Honor for Valor.
Think about this for a moment - In the
heat of battle, a mess men/cook jumps behind an anti-aircraft gun and shoots
down 4 enemy aircraft. Dorie Miller was not trained to fire that gun. If he
would have ran in the opposite direction, nobody could have faulted his actions. What he did was an act Valor that should have
been (and) should be acknowledged with the Congressional Medal of Honor.
The Marine
Corps opened enlistment to Blacks for the first time in their history. They
formed 2 segregated combat units to accommodate
Black enlistment; the 51st and 52nd Defense Battalions.
Of the 17,000 who served, 75% serving overseas were
placed in service units, depot companies and ammunition companies. Those that did see combat, served in the
Pacific Theater.
In 1941 at the
outbreak of World War II, the Army once again employed the service of the
Native American community. They were integrated and segregated in the armed
forces. The Signal Corps chose the Navajo Language as the means of
communication. The language was chosen because it was impossible for the enemy
to understand. At the start of the war there were 30 Navajo Code Talkers in
the Army, that figure increased to 420 by the end of the war.
Have you ever
heard of the 100th and the 442nd “Go for Broke” Infantry Battalions. The two
battalions were made –up of Japanese American men from Hawaii and internment
camps on the main land. They were the most decorated battalions for its size
and strength in the history of the United States Armed Forces. The medal count
for the 17,000 men who served as a part of the battalions include the following: 22 Medal of Honor, 4,000 Bronze Stars and 9,486 Purple Hearts. The 100th
Infantry Battalion gained the reputation as the “Purple Heart Battalion.”
Within their first 2 months in combat, the Battalion suffered over 500
casualties.
Black and other
Minority Military History is extensive. There are photographs and other
documents in the National Archives and the Imperial War Museum in London,
England that have not been seen by the American public. It is an interesting
story about how a substantial amount of Black Military History found a home in
the Imperial War Museum. The way the
story was told to me, the US Government left the files at the conclusion of
World War II. They told the British Government they were not bringing those
files back to the United States. The British Government took possession of the
file and archived the materials in their national museum.
There are a few
obvious facts - about how our military history has been handled. Foremost, the facts have been suppressed-
when told distorted to undermine its significance. Without a doubt the
historical motivations have been
political. The files in the Imperial War Museum need to be brought home to
America. The segregated files on the Black Military experience currently held
in the National Archives, should be placed on public display in an institution
dedicated to the preservation of the history.
For those who
question the necessity of why this should be done, I offer this simple
explanation: We owe it to those who came
before us who were not properly recognized for the merits of their sacrifices
and contributions. We owe it to our children and future generations to make the
truth, public knowledge. I once read a
quotation that went as follows: “We are not superior to our fathers and
mothers. In fact, we are inferior if we
do not move beyond the point where they have left us.” I believe that
wholeheartedly. They have left the Black Community and nation with the
responsibility to make sure the history find a proper home. It is the Black
Community’s responsibility to make sure the stories told are not diluted of the
“what and why” factors explaining the motivations, conditions and benefits of
our service.
Which bring me
to mention the Smithsonian Institute and the building of the National Museum Of
African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. The project was signed
into law by the former President George W. Bush in 2003. The legislation was authored by Congressman
John Lewis of Georgia.
The National
Museum is slated to cost 500,000,000 dollars and serve as an annex of the
Smithsonian Institute. We are supportive
of the project. However, we have some concerns and reservations regarding
intent. Did anybody see the groundbreaking ceremony in February? A few curious things were revealed at the
ceremony. First and foremost, keep in
mind we are talking about a public institution.
The Smithsonian Institute belongs to us all. The ground
breaking ceremony was held on the Capitol Mall where the museum is to be built.
(public property) Part of the planning and future construction is underwritten
with (public money, tax dollars).
However, the event was closed to the public. (Figure that out.) The President of the
United States and the First Lady was in attendance. However, they were not
included in the symbolic act of turning the first soil to acknowledge the
beginning of construction.
I ask you;
“what greater honor could have been bestowed upon the project, the Black
Community and nation than to have had the first Black President of the United
States and First Lady turn the soil to begin construction on the first national
museum dedicated to African American History and Culture?” Perhaps the
Smithsonian sensed the coming criticism following the ceremony. They issued a
statement on-line explaining why the President and First Lady were not included
in that part of the program.
According to them, they reserved that honor for
the members of the Smithsonian Family. What is that supposed to mean? Are they
implying the Smithsonian Board and Advisors are more important or prestigious
than the President of the United States?
The exclusion raises serious questions to the intention of the project.
Is it a vehicle for Black Americans to lend interpretation to our experiences
as a major part of American society? Or, was the project initiated as a means
of maintaining control over how Black History is officially presented?
We hope that is not the case. We deserve the right to tell
our own uncensored story.
The National Veterans
Coalition would like to think the intentions of the Smithsonian Institute is
honorable. And their exclusion of input
from the Black Community in this ambitious cultural undertaking is an
oversight that they intend to correct since it has been called to their
attention. Museums are about education.
The education process begins with the development, planning and implementation
of the project. Every aspect of this
undertaking offers an opportunity to educate the public about the importance of
the history and foster public discourse around the subject. There does need to
be a discussion around the subject of race in this country.
Many of the
facts that I have shared with you today regarding Black Military History will
not find a home in the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
We have been made aware that they have limited the display space for Black
Military History to 3,000 square feet.
We are talking about 242 years of history covering
the period from the American Revolutionary War to the end of the War in Iraq in
2012. We are talking about 5 branches
of the Armed Forces; the Army, Navy, Air Forces, Marine Corps and the Coast
Guard formerly known as the Revenue Cutter Service. The space allotment is inadequate. It
represents less than 1% of the proposed 320,000 square feet
designated for the building.
We have made suggestion to the Secretary of the
Smithsonian Institute that they use the designated space as a temporary gallery
to display segments of our military history until a permanent facility can be
established to properly present the subject in a more complete manner. We have also asked some basic questions about
the coming National Museum of African American History and Culture. Are all the
galleries the same size (3000 square feet)?
If not, what is the largest and smallest of spaces? If they differ in
size, what was the determining factors as to how the spaces were allotted? Size
and location is important in gallery presentations. Both emphasize the
significance of the subject matter.
We
would like to see what if any subjects were deemed more important than the
contributions we have made in the defense of this nation. Again, our military
history is the “cornerstone” of our claim for civil rights, equal opportunities
and equal protection under the law. We
have asked who the scholars are providing the interpretations of our
experiences? Who selected them? It would be nice for the Black community to
hear what is being created in our name and by whom. It would also be a gesture
of respect toward the National Black Community.
We have been
unable to secure answers to any of our questions.
We have called on Congressman John Lewis and the Congressional
Black Caucus to become involved. There
appears to be just as much politics in history today as it was during the Civil
War. Congressman Lewis and the Congressional Black Caucus has yet to respond.
We are asking you
to lend (your voice to our) on this subject.
We encourage you to contact your Congressional Representative and voice
your support for our call for the promotion of Colonel Charles Young and the
creation of a National Museum of Black Military History. In addition, demand that
the information we have requested be made public and that the Black Community
is given a greater voice in how we are represented in the National Museum of
African American History and Culture.
After all, some of our tax dollars are paying for it.
You
have been a great audience. Thank you.
