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Under Arms: The Forgotten Black Regiments of World War I
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17604 |
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Section : |
CULTURE
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| Issue
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11 / 1998 |
1,405 Words |
| Author
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Craig J. Renner
Craig J. Renner is an editor of the Culture section of The
World & I. |
But if Ford doesn't want to glorify war, he does want to make sure that a particular group of soldiers is properly remembered. Motivated by the military service of his uncle George, Ford travels throughout the East Coast telling audiences of the history and escapades of the troops of the 372nd Infantry. The 372nd was one of four all-black U.S. Army units (the 369th, 370th, and 371st were the others) that were detailed to the French army during World War I, the original Great War, to help the French repel German invaders.
For these segregated U.S. troops, reaching the battlefields of France was an accomplishment in itself. Leaning across the table, Ford describes the hazards facing those who battled in the Argonne Forest. The black soldiers "had to put up with trench foot, pneumonia, snakes, even quicksand," quite apart from the racial discrimination within the military that they had long endured.
"Germans weren't all they had to worry about," he comments.
As November 11--the eightieth anniversary of Armistice Day--approaches, Ford continues his travels. He hopes that his presentations will ensure that these proud men's contributions to the Allied war effort won't fade from memory. He notes that no plaque or statue in the United States commemorates their service, but that in Monthois, France--just south of Verdun--a monument honors their courage and service. "It's a shame," he says. "These men are so neglected."
Military racial prejudice
Black troops had ably and
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