The Mississippi enterprise. (Jackson, Miss.) 1938-current, 1945-02-24


GERS attended the course of instruc-
ton covering the army service for
ces manual, Leadership and the
Negro Soldier" The program, en-
bracing the chapters of the man
ual, follows:
Building an army, Col. Edwin N.
Hardy.
Adjustment of Negro Soldiers to
the Army, Capt. John w. Holland
Educational Background of the
Negro Soldier, Col Edwin N. Har-
dy.
Vocational Experience of the Ne
gro Soldier, Capt. John w. Holland
Health of the Negro Soldier, Col
M. o. Bousfield and Capt. John j.
Goldsberry.
Camp Community and the Negro
Soldier, Col. Edwin N. Hardy.
Rumor, Fact, and News, Capt.
John w. Holland.
The Negro Soldier in American
History, 1t. Col. Roscoe S. Giles.
Federal and State Laws of I'M
portance to Commanders of Negro
Troops, Capt. James A. McLendon.
Summation, Col. Edwin N. Hardy.
The picture, ''The Negro Soldier"
was shown in this connection.
The lecture on THE Negro Sol
dier in American History" was pre-
sented by 1t. Col. Roscoe o. Giles,
medical corps, whose timely re-
marks follow:
Negroes are proud of their mill
tary history. Since childhood, the
Negro soldier hear dat home, in
school, from the pulpit, and from
the lecture platform, of the contri-
buttons Negroes have made in ev-
cry war in which America has
engaged. Many men now in the
service are SONS. grandsons, and
-grandson8 of veterans of for
mer wars. Fraternal lodges, schools,
and streets have been named for
Americas Negro heroes. Essay con-
tests are held, clarifying the achi-
evements on the field of battle, and
pilgrimages are conducted annu-
ally to places of historic interest.
To the Negro, Bunker Hill and
Yorktown, New Orleans and Apo
matox, San Juan Hill and the Me-
use Argonne have a personal mean
ing.
Unfortunately, much of this his
tory is unknown to unit command
erS of Negro troops. In recent years
much has been done to remedy this
omission, first by Negroes them
selves, and by the one hundred or
more interracial commissions, es-
pecially of the South, have dedicat-
ed themselves to the task of assist
ing Negroes in attaining the status
of full citizenship by facing the
problems presented fearlessly and
attempting a solution based on the
tenants of Christianity and the
Golden Rule. One of the most out
standing of these is the Atlanta
group, VIII ohave pledged themsel-
yes to work indefatigably to the
ends above mentioned.
AS a result of efforts such as
these, newspapers and magazine ar
ticles have appeared as well as
in American life. Their attitude is
this is our country; the American
radio dramatizations, extrolling the
part the Negro has played in Am
erican history. The most notable
achievements by the Negro have
been publicized as the result of
Negro History Week, inaugurated
by the eminent historian, Dr. Car
ter c. Woodson, in February, 1926;
the introduction of the teaching of
Negro history into the Chicago
public schools as the result of the
efforts of Mrs. Madeline Morgan,
and in New York by Mayor La
Guardia.
The question of, do Negroes
make good soldiers?" constantly
comes up. The fighting ability of
troops is not a racial matter but
one of leadership, training and mo-
tivation. This conclusion is valid for
all troops. When Negro troops have
been well led, trained, and mott
waited, they have fought well.
The problem of motivating troops
is essentially the same for Negro
troops as for all others In the war
of he Revolution, and in the Civil
War, there was the obvious mott
walton of freedom in addition to
the normal patriotic motives.
The current Negro attitude to-
wards war and the participation in
the armed forces has its roots in
their desire for full participation