The Double V: How Wars, Protest, and Harry Truman Desegregated America’s MilitaryExecutive Order 9981, issued by President Harry Truman on July 26, 1948, desegregated all branches of the United States military by decree. EO 9981 is often portrayed as a heroic and unexpected move by Truman. But in reality, Truman's history-making order was the culmination of more than 150 years of legal, political, and moral struggle. ?Beginning with the Revolutionary War, African Americans had used military service to do their patriotic duty and to advance the cause of civil rights. The fight for a desegregated military was truly a long war-decades of protest and labor highlighted by bravery on the fields of France, in the skies over Germany, and in the face of deep-seated racism on the military bases at home. Today, the military is one of the most truly diverse institutions in America. ?In The Double V, Rawn James, Jr.the son and grandson of African American veteransexpertly narrates the remarkable history of how the strugge for equality in the military helped give rise to their fight for equality in civilian society. Taking the reader from Crispus Attucks to President Barack Obama, The Double V illuminates the African American military tradition as a metaphor for their unique and dynamic role in American history. |
Contents
3 | 19 |
4 | 23 |
5 | 31 |
6 | 44 |
Houston and Des Moines The Travels ofEmmett J Scott and the Travails of Colonel CharlesYoung France by Way of Carolina 1 | 52 |
The Lost Children | 58 |
Disillusioned by Armistice | 72 |
10 | 81 |
Freedom to Serve | 231 |
The Museum and the Mirror | 240 |
Old Draft in a New | 254 |
Politics Unusual | 255 |
Follow the Gleam | 257 |
Some Minor County Office | 258 |
Thundering Resentment in theVoice of God The USS Miller | 260 |
The Army | 262 |
11 | 90 |
12 | 104 |
13 | 114 |
14 | 123 |
15 | 129 |
16 | 137 |
17 | 144 |
18 | 158 |
19 | 167 |
20 | 187 |
From Senator to Vice President | 197 |
The Noahs Ark Committee | 214 |
The Blinding of Isaac Woodard and | 221 |
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Common terms and phrases
African American soldiers African Americans air force American Negro American Patriots April April 12 army army’s Atlanta Daily World Baltimore Afro-American black Americans black officers black sailors black soldiers called Chicago Defender civil rights civilian Colonel colored combat command committee’s Congress Dalfiume Democratic Department Desegregation Desert Storm discrimination draft enlisted Executive Order 9981 Fahy federal Gail Buckley Harry Truman House Looks South HSTL Ibid Integration ofthe Armed Jim Crow Knox labor leaders MacGregor March McCullough Military New York NAACP Nalty National navy navy’s Negro Soldiers October ofthe Armed Forces Pendergast percent political President Roosevelt President Truman president’s race racial Randolph recruits Regiment Revolution to Desert Scott Secretary segregation Senate served Soldiers in World Southern Storm New York Story ofBlacks told training camp troops U.S. Armed Forces United USS Mason V-J Day vote Walter White Washington Post White House Looks white officers William Willkie wrote York Amsterdam