Most Native Hawaiians who participated in the war were assigned to colored regiments, but Pitman's fair skin color meant he was able to serve in a white unit, indicating that unit assignment may have been influenced by how dark Hawaiians appeared.
Kebanyakan keturunan Hawaiians yang berpartisipasi dalam perang bertugas di resimen berwarna, tapi warna kulitnya itu, berarti Pitman mampu melayani di unit putih, yang mengindikasikan bahwa penugasan unit dapat dipengaruhi oleh seberapa gelap penampakan orang Hawaiians.