Evening star., 1946-02-10
Negroes Win Many Honors
For War Combat Service
Prewar Army Total of 4,451, Including Officers,
Increased to 695OO0 With 6,54S Officers
100000 in Various Sea Services.
By Don S. Warren

- ~ 49,
front line to safety, fording raging
torrent in his truck, after an officer had
said it couldn't be done.
Praise came also from Gen. Eisen-
hover, commander in chief of the Euro
pean theater, in reference to D day and
subsequent operations in France. Speak
ing of Negro antiaircraft balloon
battalion, the only outfit of its kind en-
gaging in the landings, he said, in part:
"Your battalion landed in France on
June under artillery, machine-gun and
rifle fire. Despite the losses sustained
the battalion carried out its mission
with courage and determination and
proved an important element of the air
defense team. The cheerfulness and de-
votion to duty of officers and men have
been commented on by the personnel of
other units. This report is most graft
flying to me-"
And to Negro truck company he
wrote: you landed under enemy ma
chine-gun and artillery fire, which
caused losses in men and equipment.
Nevertheless, you salvaged most of your
days 80 per cent of your vehicles were
operating on 24-hour basis, scale
which was maintained for five weeks.
During this time you continued the de-
livery of essential supplies. want you
to know that appreciate your splendid
work"
About asyear ago, there were more
than $1,000 Negroes in the Army Air
Corps. Held in especial esteem is the
99th Pursuit Squadron which was COM
mitted to combat June l., 1943, and
played busy role all through the
Mediterranean area from dive-bombing
the Italian stronghold of Pantelleria, to
Sicily, to Italy and eventually to shep-
herding heavy bombardment aircraft
attacking the vital Daimler-Benz tank
assembly plant at Berlin. For these
operations in the Berlin area, the 332d
Fighter Group, with which the Goth had
been merged, won Distinguished Unit
Citation.
Volunteered to Fight.
The leader of the 99th Squadron and
later of the 332d Fighter Group was Col.
Benjamin o. Davis, jr, a graduate of
West Point and son of Brig. Gen. Ben
jamin o. Davis, the highest ranking
Negro officer in the Army.
There are accounts also of valor and
effective service in field artillery bat
talions, the 761st Tank Battalion, the
Negro units of the Signal Corps, of
Chemical Warfare. of Ordnance and
Medical Corps, of engineers and trans
portation units. Regarding the infantry,
we come to the story of December, 1914,
when there was general appeal for vol
unteers for riflemen from among nom
combat groups, when the picture in Eu-
rope was dark, with front-line losses
More than 5000 Negroes answered and
because only privates were wanted many
noncommissioned officers offered to give
up their stripes to get into the fighting.
About $500 Negroes were accepted, with
about 5000 others turned back because
the quota had been filled.
When the Japs struck Pearl Harbor
one of the heroes of that bleak day was
Dorie Miller, Negro messboy, who took
a machine gun from the hands of its
dead gunner and turned it on the at
tackers. For his quick action he re-
ceived the Navy Cross and was cited for
ffdict dnvofiny, To lt,fv, ayfr
courage and disregard for his own per-
sonal safety" Later he went down with
the Liscome Bay.
Died to Save Shipmate.
1t was a Navy mess attendant, Leon
ard Roy Harmon, who won the honor of
having a new destroyer escort named
after him. The U. S. S. Harmon is
the first vessel to bear the name Har-
mon. Frank Knox, then Secretary of
Navy, designated Harmon's mother to
sponsor the ship when it was launched
July 10, 1943, at bingham, Mass.
The mess attendant died in action,
being awarded posthumously the Navy
Cross for extraordinary heroism"
while serving aboard the U. S. S. San
Francisco during action against jap
anese forces in the Solomon Islands area
November IL and 13, 1912 The citation,
in part: With persistent disregard Of
his own personal safety, Harmon rem
dered invaluable assistance in caring
for the wounded and evacuating them
to dressing station. In addition to dis
playing unusual loyalty in behalf of the
injured executive officer, he deliberately
exposed himself to hostile gunfire in
order to protect shipmate and, as a
result of this courageous deed, was
killed in action"
Six Negro stewards mates who had
volunteered to man antiaircraft guns
in the event Of an attack, on Essex class
carrier U. S. S. Intrepid, won Bronze
Star Medals for continuing fire on a
Jap suicide plane headed straight for
their gun tub until it crashed in their
midst. The citations state their cour-
age and skill were at all times "in keep
ing with the highest traditions of the
naval service
A Navy press release of February 13,
1945, told this story of Negro Marines
of the 9th Ammunition Company, on
the beach nearest the enemy on Two
Jima:
They carry ammunition by day, feed
ing the front lines and building up
supply dumps, playing vital role in
what Is undoubtedly the toughest battle
in the history of the Marine Corps. At
night they lie in foxholes among their
kegs of TINT and dumps of high ex-
plosives, enduring the most persistent
mortar and shell fire any American