Laurel Leader Article

Here’s a DN story published in today’s edition of the Laurel Leader newspaper:

World War II African-American vets excelled despite racism
By Gwendolyn Glenn

Posted 3/11/10

When George Jackson was growing up in Silver Spring in the late 1920s, even though his father worked three jobs to make ends meet for Jackson and his eight siblings, there never seemed to be enough money to support the family.

Discrimination and other obstacles prevented many African Americans from finding good-paying jobs during those days, so when Jackson finished high school, he joined the Army.

“I went in for the money, because I couldn’t find a job,” he said.

But racial barriers in the military prohibited Jackson from performing the duties he was trained for during World War II as a paratrooper with the 2nd Ranger Infantry Company, an all-black unit known as the Black Rangers.

“No Black Rangers did any jumps in World War II. I didn’t feel too good about that, but it was a sign of the times,” Jackson said.

But Jackson, who described himself as a confident man, did not let discrimination hold him back as he and 139 other Black Rangers endured strenuous training that they weren’t allowed to use. It wasn’t until years later, during the Korean War, that the Black Rangers became the first black paratroopers to execute jumps behind enemy lines in Munsan-Ni, Korea in 1951.

“When we made that first combat jump, we did it under heavy fire. I was scared, but I did it and I’ve been shot in my leg, back and arm,” Jackson said.

I met Jackson and other African-American veterans of World War II at a Black History Month reception in their honor at The Park in the District of Columbia. The event was organized by Double Nickels Theatre, a non-profit theater company founded in 2006 by Antoinette Ford, a former appointed D.C. City Council member and USAID administrator.

Many of the veterans who attended live at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in D.C. Double Nickels’ members are collecting the stories of AFRH veterans of all races, to showcase them in documentaries and theater productions in an effort to bring attention to their rich experiences and acts of heroism.

At the event, veterans from all-black units, such as the 555th Parachute Infantry (Triple Nickels) and the Montford Point Marines, mingled with guests, wearing their medals and hats emblazoned with the insignia of their divisions.

Harry Townsend, who served for 34 years in the Army, was a Triple Nickels veteran, and received several medals for his service. His unit was also not allowed to serve as paratroopers in World War II, but were instead sent to the West Coast to check out rumors of Japanese balloon bombs in the area and later to fight fires as smoke jumpers in the northwest region.

“Segregation was really something then,” said 87-year-old Townsend. “We were trained separately, lived separately and weren’t used in combat. We all just hoped the opportunity would come where we’d be able to serve one day.”

That chance came for Townsend in the Korean and Vietnam wars, where he executed jumps into enemy territory to secure landing areas for helicopters.

I felt honored to talk one-on-one with Townsend and other veterans at the event. Also, it brought back memories of my deceased Aunt Josie Dixon — who would be in her 90s today — an Army colonel who also served in World War II. I know she experienced acts of racism like that described by the veterans at the Black History Month celebration, considering that it wasn’t until 1941 that an executive order was issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt that began the long process of integrating this country’s military branches. I applaud Double Nickels for documenting the stories of these unsung heroes.