Essay On African Americans In The Vietnam War

Before WORLD WAR I, military service represented a source of black pride. Black educators, clergymen, and the press frequently referred to Negro heroes of America’s past wars. After the Civil War, the U.S, Army maintained four regular Negro regiments –the 9th and 10th Calvary and the 24th and 25th Infantry. These units included veterans of the civil war and the frontier Indian fighting regiments. Retired sergeants often became respected, conservative leaders in their communities. This history set a foundation for black support and involvement in America’s future wars.

This paper will go on to describe the direct impact of the Great War on all African American migration, military service, and political protest. These three things would have combined to make the years of the Great War a major impact on African American history. When war first erupted in Europe in August of 1914, most Americans - African Americans included - did not see a reason for the United States to get involved, many viewing the bloodshed as petty in the activities of their everyday lives. This belief of neutrality amongst the people would only grow stronger as stalemates ensued, and death rates climbed higher. As the war raged on, the Black press would aim its papers to side with the French, because of their continued commitment for racial equality, as well as, their employment of African soldiers in their military. When the United States entered the war, it would have a great impact on many African Americans, particularly the many men, women, and children who embarked on the Great Migration - the largest movement of people in American history.

In a nation with a rich history of racism and inequality projected towards minority groups, many minorities were opposed to serving in any capacity during the Civil War. There were a few, however, that maintained an openness to the idea of aiding the Northern Union’s cause. Their willingness to fight for a shared dream, though, was not enough to put them on the frontlines. In fact, many willing African Americans were not permitted to join the ranks solely due to the color of their skin. This in and of itself was a discouraging reality for many African Americans of the time. The common question rang out: If they could not be accepted even as a soldier, how could they possibly be accepted as anything more later on? Advocate Alfred M. Green, however, had a different outlook. In short, Green decided that it was too soon to be giving up on the future. In his speech delivered to African Americans in Philadelphia, he hopes to inspire many to maintain their passion and join the Union forces. Primarily through emotional and logical appeal, Green constructs a persuasive case enticing many African Americans to continue fighting for the opportunity to join the Union army.

Vietnam was so significant to the United States partly as it would be the first war they would lose. It also had a tremendous financial impact on the country and the casualties were also more in the public eye than ever before due to the media. They learnt that: "a long war for limited objectives, with its steady stream of body bags, will not be supported by the American people" (Martino, 1996, p37). Some suggest that the US should have avoided any involvement in the war.

Young men began getting drafted to the army but enrolled college students were absolved from draft. Because only middle class white men could afford college many men sent to war were minorities and lower class white men. This process brought social tensions up when Martin Luther King argued, “ We were taking the black young men who had been crippled by our society and sending them eight thousand miles away to guarantee liberties in Southeast Asia which they had not found in southwest Georgia and East Harlem” (Document C). The draft angered African Americans because they were being sent to fight under the American flag for another country, when their own country was segregated and ran by a white society. Africa Americans opposed the war because they were fighting for independence in another country when they did not have freedom at home.

African Americans in the early United States faced strenuous hardships dealing with discrimination and inequality. Even decades after slavery ended, African Americans never achieved true freedom. An opportunity known as World War I allowed black people to serve in the United States military. They thought they could gain their right to be considered a true American and gain acceptance from the white man. Little did they know, risking their lives would barely change anything. This was true with many other wars, as well. After they came home from fighting in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, segregation still existed along with discrimination, but their service did not go unrecognized. Little things such as military service helped change the minds of white Americans.

Women once again were the backbone of America during WWII just like in WWI. They worked high jobs reserved for men and some women helped create machines that would help in the war (ships, tanks, planes, etc.). Agricultural took a backburner because many left their jobs to either fight in the war or work in jobs that would provide for the war. Although the jobs for women didn’t last long and they didn’t get paid as much it set in motion more encouragement for Women’s Suffrage. African Americans also moved from farming to more industrialized jobs because they believed that winning the war might encourage more equality in America itself. African-Americans could earn more money and FDR passed the FEPC (Fair Employment Practices Commission) but it was not practiced much in the armed forces. In the armed forces African-Americans were given small jobs and not properly trained for higher jobs if they got one. The FEPC called for the armed forces to give out

Black soldiers played a significant role during the Civil War, and their contributions, on and off the battlefield, eventually facilitated a Union victory over the Confederate troops.

In the speech “ Beyond Vietnam- A Time to Break Silence”, Dr. King speaks out on the issues brought upon by the Vietnam War and how it has a negative impact on African Americans. He displays a frustrated and irritated tone to shed light on this problem in order to entice anger within the African American community of Harlem and call them to fight against social injustice and fight for their civil rights.

Not only were American soldiers "well muscled" and "athletes," (191) but some of them were black. Whites were not particularly strange, as Vietnam had been under French rule, but blacks must have been something of a frightening, unfamiliar novelty. This too is reflected in the text. When Kien and Hoa encounter an American platoon in the jungle, the blacks in the platoon are the first thing Kien describes, after describing "what was not a man, but a tracker dog as big as a calf." (189) And when the soldiers smoke rosa canina, one of the things they hallucinate is "groups of headless black American soldiers" right along with hallucinations about fantastic creatures and extinct animal species. With these counterpoints to the American views of Vietnamese soldiers, an American certainly gets a different picture of the war.

Imagine you are a Union soldier stationed at a fort in 1864. You wake up prepared for the day that is to come. It’s morning reveille, and the basic insults are shouted at you while you get dressed, as per usual. You heard to morning chow with your best friend Joe and talk about how life just isn’t fair, especially for y’all. All of a sudden people are hollering the the Confederates are attacking. Oh, I almost forgot to mention, you’re an African-American at Fort Pillow. It’s not looking good on the Union side and before you know it the Union is surrendering, but the Confederacy is relentless and doesn’t stop there. You watch your friends picked off one by one as they scream out that they surrender. Quite devastatingly, events like this had a very common occurrence. From harassment by fellow Union soldiers to cold blooded massacres conducted by the Confederates, African-Americans endured it all and more. During the civil war, African-Americans were severely discriminated against in multiple way by the military because they weren’t viewed as human beings. Of course, In order to see my point, you primarily need to understand how I have come to this conclusion. What does being seen as a human being mean?

The fight against fascism during World War II had also brought to the forefront the contradictions between America’s ideals of democracy and equality and its treatment of racial minorities. (Staff) How can a nation who opposed Hitler’s views and his suppression of other nations when within in the United States freedom was limited for African Americans? The United States Army created separate regiments that where divided by color and imposed a “Caucasian” commanding officer to oversee there activates. Many argued that the treatment African Americans received where no better than the pre-civil war era. This awareness of racism would reach popular culture. Josh Whitea blues musician who wrote songs pointing out the discrimination experienced by

Stanley Aronowitz writes, "As the Vietnam war revealed, one of the most powerful sources of resistance to an unjust war are the working class, black and Latino 'grunts' who do most

Like any war the War for Equality had its’ causes, in this case the war was brought about by the continued mistreatment of racial minorities. This mistreatment came in many forms: segregation, violation of other civil rights, and violence.

During both WWI and WWII many African Americans were murdered as a result of fighting for the same rights and freedom that the white American population upheld. During World War I 51,822 African Americans were killed, this number almost doubled during World War II totaling to 104,625 deaths. During both WWI and WWII African Americans were treated very poorly. A majority of the population tried to move North away from the Jim Crow South but conditions were not better. Although there was racism during the World Wars, African Americans still showed their support by enlisting to fight for the United States. African Americans thought that their participation in fighting for this country would grant them rights as first class citizens and give them the same respect as the white population. The Jim Crow South was much more prejudice than the North but the Northern States lacked opportunity and success for the African American population. The book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a profound example of showing racism after World War I. It shows the struggle African Americans went through; an example is with Tom Robinson who is a black man falsely accused of raping a white women. Robinson was sentenced to death with little to no evidence that he committed such crime. This book shows how racism in the South contributed to the injustice of courts and lack of hope for African Americans.