Interview with two World War II veterans of Cape Verdean heritage
Channel: Derek Rose
Date: 2012-09-11

An August 11, 1988 interview with two World War II U.S. veterans of Cape Verdean heritage, Mario "Marty" Rose of Fairhaven, Mass. (my grandfather, a decorated prisoner of war) and Anthony Barboza. Interview was conducted by Cape Verde historian Ron Barboza, Anthony's son. 

At 26:39 Rose talks about the bombing run he was on for the 568th Bomb Squadron, 390th Bomb Group when his B-17 Flying Fortress was shot down Jan. 14, 1945, over Germany. They were on a mission to bomb an underground oil storage facility in Derben, west of Berlin.

"The plane blew up ... the enemy plane came up from under us, and hit us right in the bomb bay and that was it. Next thing I knew, I'm floating through the air. Tinsel [metal strips of chaff used to fool German radar] all around. Quiet except for the drone of airplanes. And I reached for my rip cord and I tugged and tugged and tugged. ... We were flying practically five miles up, five miles high, and just tinsel coming down. Then I heard and saw a fighter plane, and so [worried about being shot at] I slumped in my harness, dead, lifeless. Then I passed out from lack of oxygen. Next thing I knew the ground was coming up on me, I hit, so I had no time to prepare myself. I broke both legs, both legs were broken. I tried to get up and my leg folded up on me. And here comes a mob with a pick axe and shovels. German peasants. And you know, you can't blame 'em. Someone comes over dropping bombs on their country, and I wouldn't blame 'em one bit if they'd knocked my head off ... fortunately [they did not]."

At 2:30, Rose also talks about serving as a Cape Verdean in a white unit in the Army Air Corps. "The order was given ... for colored persons or Negros, whatever, to step forward two paces. And I said to myself if you can't tell a black man from a white man, I'm going to stay right where I am! So I did. So I went in with the white forces. No one ever asked me, to the best of my knowledge, whether I was white or black. Except this one instance, where the separation was made. And after that there was no other questions as far as color line was concerned."). 

Anthony Barboza, who is similar skin tone to Marty Rose, served in a black outfit and says he was glad he did (6:30).