African Americans in the Military: Wars

This research paper discusses the role of African Americans in the defense of freedom and democracy for all Americans throughout history. It highlights the successes and firsts of African American men and women in the military during major wars such as the Civil War, World War I, and World War II.

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African Americans In the Military: Wars
Research Paper
African Americans in the Military: Wars
Throughout the history of America, the African American has played a significant role in
the defense of freedom and democracy for all Americans. There have been several major wars

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that African Americans have fought and died in. These wars are the Civil War, World War I and
World War II. Each of these wars represent a time in American history that affected the liberties
bestowed upon each and every American. It also marked major milestones for African American
men and women in the military. My goal in this paper is to bring to light the successes and firsts
of the African American in the military. To achieve this goal, I will talk about the three major
wars fought during the last two-hundred years. I will also discuss the advancements of blacks in
the military during each of the wars.
During the Civil War (1861-1865), America was in a battle to solidify the union of the
states. The Confederate States of America, which were the lower 11 southern states, seceded
from the union in order to protect slavery in the south. According the National Archives, by the
end of the Civil War, roughly 179,000 black men (10% of the Union Army) served as soldiers in
the U.S. Army and another 19,000 served in the Navy. Nearly 40,000 black soldiers died over
the course of the war—30,000 of infection or disease (Black Soldiers in the U.S. Military During
the Civil War). Blacks played a prominent role in winning of the Civil War.
During this time, the first black regiment was established. The soldiers were from states
like Massachusetts, South Carolina and Tennessee. In May 1863, the Corps d’ Afrique was
formed in Louisiana by Union major general Nathanial Banks (African Americans In The Civil
War). General Banks wanted 18 regiments in the following areas; infantry, artillery and cavalry,
with engineers and mobile hospitals. Blacks also had roles as nurses, cooks, blacksmiths, spies,
and scouts. Abraham Lincoln through the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed slaves in all
the states, enable blacks to have opportunities that they may not have had otherwise. The signing
of the Emancipation Proclamation allowed for the creation of the Bureau of Colored Troops in
1863. The bureau was used to manage colored enlistees entering the military.

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After the Civil War, many things changed in the United States as it relates to African
Americans in the military. Following the Civil War, the Army disbanded volunteer “colored”
regiments, and established six Regular Army regiments of black troops with white officers
(Bryan). There was a period of time that blacks slowly left the military to start farms and build
families. There was also a huge migration of southern blacks moving to the north in pursuit of a
better life for their families. When World War I started, there were four all-black regiments: the
9th and 10th Cavalry and the 24th and 25th Infantry (Bryan).
The president during World War I was Woodrow
Wilson. President Wilson instituted a draft to build the
size of the military to fight the war. Over one million
African Americans responded to their draft calls, and
roughly 370,000 black men were inducted into the army
(Williams). The US government sent black troops
overseas and among them were two divisions, the 92nd and the 93rd. Pictured in (figure 1), the 93rd
division was loaned to the French army by the US. 93rd Division's 369th Infantry Regiment from
New York became the most famous fighting unit of African-American troops (Williams).
The troops from the 93rd Division were known as the “Harlem Hellfighters”. Many
African Americans serving in France were treated far better than those serving with white
armies. The 93rd service members served with distinction as they fought alongside their French
counterparts. Seventy-one members of the regiment received the French Croix de Guerre, and
another twenty-one soldiers received the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) (Bryan). There was
no overt racism and many black men stayed in Europe after the war for that very reason.

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In the US, many whites feared that black troops would return and demand equal rights for
fighting in the war. Troops returned home to racial tensions, riots and lynching’s had gone up
from previous years. Despite all of this, African Americans finally began to receive the equal
treatment their predecessors had earned in combat in France during World War I (Bryan).
World War II brought many advances for the African Americans in the military. Over 2.5
million African-American men registered for the draft, and black women also volunteered in
large numbers (African Americans in WWII). World War II saw the introduction of the first
black military aviators known as the Tuskegee Airmen. They flew over 15,000 sorties in Europe
and North Africa. Their impressive performance earned them more than 150 Distinguished
Flying Crosses, and helped encourage the eventual integration of the U.S. armed forces
(Tuskegee Airmen). There were many such successes as those achieved by the Tuskegee
Airmen. The first ship named after an African American was the USS Harmon (See Figure 2).
Named after Mess Attendant First Class
(MAtt1c) Leonard Roy Harmon, the USS Harmon
was commissioned in 1943 and served for 22 years
before being decommissioned in 1965. In 1944, the
first African American Naval Officers were
commissioned. African-American women
volunteered in large numbers. Many served as nurses in the both the Army and Navy Nurse
Corps (African Americans in WWII). The war brought about many changes that helped
desegregate the military for good. In 1948, President Harry Truman signed an executive order
mandating the desegregation of the military.

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In conclusion, African American in the military have come along way. Most of the men
in my family have served in the military. My father served 27 years in the Navy and both my
uncles served 29 and 30 years respectively. My service was only 8 years but I enjoyed my time
in service. From the days of the Civil War until the end of World War II, the military was
segregated. The hard work and dedication of the African Americans who served despite the
adversity, help pave the way for peace, freedom and desegregation.
Works Cited

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African Americans In The Civil War. n.d. 26 October 2018. <http://www.historynet.com/african-
americans-in-the-civil-war>.
African Americans in WWII. n.d. 1 November 2018.
<http://www.pacificwarmuseum.org/your-visit/african-americans-in-wwii/>.
Black Soldiers in the U.S. Military During the Civil War. 1 September 2017. 26 October 2018.
<https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/blacks-civil-war>.
Bryan, Jami L. FIGHTING FOR RESPECT: African-American Soldiers in WWI. 20 January 2015. 29 October
2018. <https://armyhistory.org/fighting-for-respect-african-american-soldiers-in-wwi/>.
Tuskegee Airmen. Ed. History.com. 21 August 2018. 1 November 2018.
<https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/tuskegee-airmen>.
Williams, Chad. African Americans and World War I. 2011. 31 October 2018.
<http://exhibitions.nypl.org/africanaage/essay-world-war-i.html>.