Question

What challenges did african americans face at the end of WW II?

Answer 1

The blacks faced rampant segregation, discrimination and racism in all the branches of the war. In the Navy blacks who had degrees were forced to be in "servile" jobs for the officers and do demeaning grunt work.

In the Marines they were not allowed to be in the infantry. They could be at the battle fronts (in the rear) doing unloading of supplies and helping carry the Marines who were wounded.

In the Army the racism was so bad the blacks did not get to have the same sleeping quarters, same mess quarters or shop at the army stores as the white soldiers could do. They were not allowed to fight with the infantry, tanks or planes. Eleanor Roosevelt intervened on behalf of the blacks. Due to her influence they were finally able to be in the infantry, drive tanks and fly planes.

The Tuskegee Airmen and the tank battalion gained recognition for their contributions to the war. The Tuskegee airmen won more medals than their white aviator counterparts. The tank battalion more than impressed General Patton. He raved over them. Since the black tank battalion had been left behind in the US they had spent two years practicing with tanks and they turned out to be better fighters than the white tank crews. The infantry men did well and surprised the white officers. Those officers bragged about how brave they were and how well they did their jobs. Many said they would be glad to lead another black unit anytime.

When the Blacks returned to the US the racism in the South continued. The southerners treated the black veterans like dirt. In the North and the West they got very little respect but they were not treated like the men of the south.

The worst part of the racism was the military's failure to award these men with medal and certificates. This did not happen until the 1990s. Many young black men who serve today have thanked those brave Sailors, Marines, Army and Aviator men who served before them in World War 2, Korea and in Viet Nam.