The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-07-01

men. I learned later that other Ne
gro recruits from different parts OF
the country had been sworn in al
the same time as white recruits. un-
der the same roof. but that these
groups had been separated by race
When we received orders 10 report
TO he recruiting station for transfer
10 training center, we found that
We we're 10 travel as Negro group.
At boot camp Camp Allen, near
Norfolk. Va We were organized in
to companies. b, c. and d. All the
white recruits were In company A.
We never came into contact with
the white recruits, except on rare
! occasions. We were qusrtered In
separate barracks. fed In separate
chow halls. and drilled in separate
companies. We bought goods at the
same Ships Service Store. but after
We had been in camp few days. .
rudeiy scrawled paste bOard sign d.
rected whites to one window.
colored to another. A boot guard
WAS posted to enforce this rule
rule new to men who had been on
the base for over . year.
IN he recreation hall, az movies.
the whites usually sat in one corner.
bat j. soon developed into a policy
of s.t where you can find seat To
avoid any such danger. one night
the whites demanded 70 De allowed
10 march 20 The head Of he movie
line. This was permitted ard a near
rot broke out After the show.
everyone Went quietly 20 bed. the
incident apparently forgotten In
he middle OF the n gh.. az he Ne
groes were ordered OF. OF their
beds, whether they had attended the
! movie or rot. and forced 10 drill
until they nearly dropped Of ex-
aaus.!on. The whites sept peace
/ fully IN their hunks,
! After boot training, re moved 20
| Camp Bradford for our advanced
training. Each company was broken
up and reorsanized. Some whites
were put n each company. We
/ drilled 20 chow. 20 work. ard in
! parade With the whites always a,
! he mead % the column Upon max
.Ng inquiry as 70 the reason 20.
,nis We were told that place IN line
was determined by -at.rg. Il was
then FOR The frs. time We learned
that practically all the whites had
ratings higher han ours. With only
one or two exceptions. they were
trst-c,ass or chief-petty officer
while no Negro was higher than sec,
ond-clsss petty officer. Lining up &C
cording 10 height we were in
formed. might be followed in som,
places. but we must learn that der,
was. for everything, a right way, 1
wrong way. and Navy way.
For offenders against Navy rule
/ there is an institution known a.
The Brig" Men can be committed
20 the brg by varying degrees OF
court-nartisls or by order Of The
/ proper authorities. The ratio Of Ne
groes 10 white n our Unit vas ap-
: prox;ma;ely .ou- 70 one. so il was
10 be expected :hs: most Of the IN
mates OF the brig would be Negroes
What actually did happen, however,
VAS little unexpected. Whereas
several Negroes were committed
each week. only one white was
known 10 have been put in the brig
during he entire period up 10 the
;!me We were discharged This one
wasn't really put il me brig as We
knew Il. but VAS confined" in sep
ara:e spacious quarters. and was
actually surrounded by more COM
Forts than he would have had in
his regular quarters And confined"
isn't quite the word. either. for he
Tas known 20 have gone ashore on
liberty while thus detained. ard il
vas ever rumored around the base
that he had gone home on a spec al
leave.
Several Negroes and whites were
promoted At the end Of our first six
months and several before. but no
Negro was promoted beyond second
class petty officer. Those who had
enlisted At that rating appeared to
be frozen there. One steward was
promoted to frst-steward, but .
steward isn't . Officer and
never has been. The second class
petty officers who inquired about
their possibilities Of promotion were
put of with promises. One OF these.
a graduate OF a southern Negro col
lege BIS. with highest honors N
Electricity and RADIO. wide expe-
rience. and superintendent OF cleo
tr!csl construction az an Army Air
Base al the tire he enlisted. had
been given commentator by the
Commanding Officer as an outStard-
ing example Of Sesbee specialist
He was given big wr.te-up in the
official publication Of the Bureau
Of Yards and Docks. yet he was not
given a promotion. He was told
contiden,ially by his commanding
officer that he was being considered
for promotion but that he would
probably be transferred 20 another
battalion where he would have a
better chance What actually hap
pened was that some few months
after being sent overseas, he was
diS'r iSsed from the Navy as IN
FIT
Eventually came the tine when
we mus; sail for our overseas base
We didn't know the naval ceremony
for boarding ship, bu; during the
four months We had az our Ad-
vanced Base Depot We saw many
units embark FOR overseas service
With band playing and colors fy-
ing they eft. ard We thrilled az
the spectacle. looking forward eag-
erly TO the day when We should
sail away. The day came. We. too.
must leave But no band PLAYED.
no flag waved as We marched away
10 war. down he tree-lined streets
Of that little southern town True.
We had our band. one We we're very
proud al. and each member car
ried his instrument but the drums
were mute. the horns silent We
had our colors but no one could see
them. They we're furled. caSed. We
wondered IL this, too. was the Navy
way.
Life on Shipboard
Aboard ship. We were CHARTERED
according ~ rating This resulted
in orc or two incidents. The cap
tam az The ship was told tha; frSt-
class petty officers ard chiefs would
20 into one hold ard ,ower ratings
! INTO the others. He probably real