Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1943-10-30
About Negro Soldiers In Combat Units
OF The Army

OF The Army
For long time the Negro press, and leaders and
spokesmen the have been giving considerable atten
ton to the disposition OF Negro troops in the army in
effort to have greater number than have at any time
been indicated placed in combat units and sent into active
fighting of the In recent weeks these obseva
the press and of leaders and spokesman of the
have all but grown into nation vide agitation high Ott
Gals of the ramy exhibits intention of increasing the
number Negro combat units in spite of the increasing
number Negro soldiers the Army with the passing of
induction period evidenced by the fact that
units which have had long periods of combat train
ing, now it being reduced to noncombat units
in preparation their labor bataions engineers,
stevedore quartermases service of supply and service
of the rear troops the truth of this condition becomes
apparent there be witnessed greatly increased
amount of such agitation
Such agitation springs from the history of the Negro
soldier in the first world when Negro troops used
largely as troops and from the opinion advanced
by number of high ranking Army officers OF the period
to the effect that Negro soldiers lacked comparable fight
ing qualities of other troops opinion that upon first
would to have found high favor among some
of the present high officials of the army in spite of the
fact that during the first word war; where Negro
troops We're given fair chance and fair APPRAISAL they
Quilted themselves like demonstrating LOYALTY, pa
tiotism courage, heroism and forude, to degree COM
parable that of group of fighters regardless to race
Such agitation may also spring from the fact that
most of the glamour of along with the lighting
units There the citations for bravery and deeds OF nd-
vidual heroism the medals of honor and military dlstnc
on both in life and in death be earned and rewarded
and glory transmitted heritage to posterty with
such things in mind it is small wnder that the Negro
Press the leaders and spokesman OF the rare are concern
ed about the of Negro troops in combat units But,
war an ancient spectacle and its customs and traditions
have down through the centuries and most OF the
traditional glamour and glory that rgS OIL TO tee
fighting man was during the days when Knghthood
was in flower modern Army such the world witness
today the fighting units without IN any way detrachg
from them are only group of units many other
units of comparable Importance all OF which must Junction
to the highest degree of coordination and efficiency in or
der to be successful and victorious
No modern army can hope and victory with
out highly developed System of Supply and Communca-
op the service and maintenance OF which depends upon
the efficiency of the Labor battaons engineers steve
dores oarenasers of supply and service OF rear
troops In the world while the Negro soldiers VINO
had the opportunity the fighting units earned and were
awarded citations bravery and Individual heros ana
medals of honor and transmitted to postety military dis
tnctions won in life and death though some critics
still deny to the Negro soldier fighters traits coparaoe
to those of other in the first World War he won ev.
erwhere the highest praise while performing miracles Oh
labor and endurance in servicing and maintaining the
Army's Supply and Communication System Ioday, Witt
military loqistics upon far vaster and more important
scale the Negro troops engaged in servlcmg and MAINTAIN
ing the Army Supply and Communcauon SYSTEM nv
been sighted again and again by both military ana ClVa
observers for their great work Moreover IN moore W."
with the airane its most potent weapon the sodiers "
the supply and service need equal to tnat
of the fighting and often have the opportunity l
heroic conduct under fire. evdenced by the mum er ~
pch men amono the wounded being returned to the
country for disqualification
Finally as demonstrated in the first world war; anu
thus far in the second world it may be true INA. ee
A1, ba concluded that the Negro soldier is both physi-
cay and temperamenta better qualified to 90 the all IN
nortant lob of servicing and maintaining the army anu
NAV not be altogether DESTROYS of keeping him away
tbe glamour and glory of the war and while the aeaIo
goes on for more Negro soldiers in the COMBAT u1s
need to make sure that are not IN anyway m
from the all important job that he is dong, because "
seems better able to do it than anybody else can