Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1944-07-29

TauTOaIeu 1TOU
field, Mich, to WATERFORD all
base, S. c., for protesting segre-
CATION at the northern training
field, the Associated Negro
Press sent a reporter to Wal
terbOrO to obtain the facts in
the case for the readers of this
newspaper. What this CORES
pendent, Ernest Johnson, chief
of the AMP Washington bu-
reau, found is contained in
three articles, u first of which
follows.)
BY ERNEST JOHNSON
WALTE2BORO AIRBASE, S.
c. Because morale Of
men at this airbase was reported
low
Because 2 hero of the goth Pur-
suit squadron, back from overseas
had been dismissed from the SER
vice through court-martial, and
at least two other men have been
court martialed-
And because rumorS of general
unrest and discrimination had
been reported, the Associated Ne
gro Press undertook an on-the-
spot investigation of the situation.
The outfit involved is what
formerly was the 553rd Pursuit
squadron, which has been station
ed at Selfridge field, Mich. until
May Z when it was suddenly trans
ferred to this South Carolina post,
in the middle of Dixie ana all it
means.
NOT HAPPY PICTURE
The picture Is not a happy one.
There is indeed much room for
improvement on the part of the
army air forces if training and
the establishment-yes, the estab-
lishment-of high morale are to
be achieved among a group of
men who in a relatively short time
will be flying high over Germany
for the cause of America.
BY the same token, these men
and related ground PERSONNEL
have the responsibility of con-
stantly exhibiting their diligence
in accordance with army regula-
tons, knowing as they do that
despite the demonstrated capabili-
ty of the Goth Pursuit squadron,
there is still a segment of the
army which even now would pre-
fer not to see Negroes develop in
the air branch IF this country's
armed services.
The 553rd, flying PAT ThunSer-
bolts, hadn't cracked up yet, as
Major Joseph B. Price, assistant
director of flying operations and
training noted In fact, there
hadn't been a fatality among the
men since a siIoTl time before
leaving Selfridge field, a favorable
record.
SPROUTS AT SELFRIDGE
The seed of dtsCord took root at
Selfridge. Six officers from the
99th had returned from overseas
to work with the nucleus of the
553rd, which was activated last
November at Selfridge Field and
Oscoda, Mich. They were LIST Its.
Walter Lawson, Graham Smith.
Louis r. Purnell, Spann Watson,
Charles w Dryden, and Lee Ray
ford. The outfit was ultimately to
be differed with all Negro per-
sonnet
In due course the men were
united at Selfridge and for time
had a succession of commanding
officers. The last of them 1t. ro'
Sam P. Triffy, came south with
them. Under one of these COM
manderS, 1t. Col. Charles Gayle,
the men observed a tendency to
place Negro officers as assistants
to white supervisory personnel in
the table of organization. Its. Ray
ford and Purnell decided they
preferred fighting and SO went
overseas with the 332nd Fighter
group. T~ainees of the 553rd stuck
tongues In cheeks.
While at Selfridge the issue of
the officers club arose and a plan
to probe separate facilities for
the races was thwarted after the
Negro f1iers had voted unanimous
ly to refuse the separate club. The
undercurrent of resentment deve-
loped among the colored officers
and evidenced itself in sundry
ways.
On May the 553rd entrained
for WATERFORD airbase. They
were not told then or since then
why they had been moved south.
The accepted opinion among them,
however, is that the move was made
for the explicit purpose of sub
jecting them truly to the rigors of
segregation as only the south can
practice it, and thereby kill their
spirit
LOW SPIRIT TO-DAY
That spirit today is low. and the
transfer is a contributing factor
None of the ranking officers with
whom / talked, from Col. Iver
Massey, deputy commanding off,
(Coutiuued nm hack nocol