At that time, the US Army, like America itself, was still
segregated. African-Americans fought in the Army, Navy and Army Air Force, and fought
well on the battlefield. The Tuskegee Airmen unit became especially famous for their
performance under fire, and units like the 761st Tank Battalion in the Army did just as
well, but were not as well known. That particular unit was the first all-black tank
unit ever sent into combat.
Most African-Americans who
served, however, were assigned to support roles, such as running the supply truck
convoys in Europe known as the "Red Ball Express". African-Americans made up 75% of
that particular unit. They were as essential to winning the war against Hitler as any
units in combat.
Many African-American veterans of that
war, while very proud of their service, had a difficult time coming home to a country
that felt, while they were certainly equal enough to fight and die for the nation, also
felt that they weren't equal in almost every other way. It was impossible to reconcile
those two views, and some say this contributed to the Civil Rights movement in the early
1950s.
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