Black Men in World War I

1. Black Men in World War I By: Ben Tatro

2. World War I • When WWI started in August 1914, Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation of neutrality. • After repeated German Submarine attacks on civilian vessels and the loss of American lives Wilson and many Americans were furious and saw that as a huge violation of U.S neutral rights. • On April 6th, 1917, Congress declared war on Germany.

3. World War I • Most African Americans supported the war effort. • They saw it as an opportunity to demonstrate their loyalty and devotion to their country through military service. • W.E.B. Du Bois declared “If this is our country, “then this is our war. We must fight with every ounce of blood and treasure.”

4. World War I • In 1917, there were about 10,000 black regulars in the Army • There were more than 5,000 black men in the Navy, but mostly all of them were waiters and kitchen attendants. • The Marine Corps didn’t accept African Americans. • There were several all-black state National Guard units.

5. World War I • Although the military was extremely segregated, there was political pressure from black newspapers and the NAACP to commission black officers to lead black troops. • Eventually they allowed black officers, but they were confined to lower ranks and couldn’t be promoted past Captain. • There was an officer training school at Fort Des Moines, Iowa • The overall command of black units was in white hands.

6. Lieutenant Colonel Charles Young • An African American soldier who had already served in Cuba, the Philippines, Haiti, and Mexico. • He was eligible to lead black and white troops in World War I. • Several white soldiers complained and he was eventually forced to retire with the military authorities claiming he had high blood pressure. • Young insisted he was healthy and he rode a horse from his home in Xenia, Ohio, to Washington D.C., to prove it. • But he remained on the retired list until he was given command of a training unit five days before the war ended.

7. World War I • Most white military leaders and politicians embraced racial stereotypes and didn’t expect much from black soldiers. • As in earlier wars, black troops were discriminated against, abused, and neglected. • At Camp Hill, Virginia, black men lived in tents with no floors, blankets, or bathing facilities. • White men didn’t salute any black troops and black officers weren’t allowed admission to Officers’ Clubs.

8. World War I • Military authorities didn’t expect to use black troops in combat. • The military preferred to employ black troops in road construction, and as cooks and bakers. • Of ore than 380,000 black men who served in WWI, only 42,000 went into combat. • That’s 3% of the entire U.S army.

9. World War I • Black troops were offered little combat training. • During WWI black regiments received harsh criticism for their mistakes in combat. • White soldiers were more concerned with reminding Negro soldiers that they were Negro, rather than being concerned about having them be effective in war. • The 368th regiment received some of the worst criticism. While fighting alongside the French they fell back in disorder. • Some soldiers fled and after the battle 4 men were sentenced to death and one to life in prison.

10. The 369th Regiment • White officials bashed on a lot of the black regiments for their weaknesses in battle and they ignored the commendable achievements of the 369th-372nd regiments. • The 369th regiment was the biggest standout of all black regiments. • They had an outstanding combat record and they fought alongside the French in some of the heaviest fighting in the war for 91 days straight.

12. The 369th Regiment • They never gave up a prisoner or lost a trench during battle. • There heroic fighting style earned them the name “Men of Bronze”. • They lived up to their motto that they frequently shouted in battle which was.. Lets Go

13. French & Black Troops • Before the war and throughout the war the French were unfazed by racist warnings from white American officials. • They praised the conduct of black soldiers and accepted them as equals. • Following the victory by the allies in WWI, French authorities awarded the Croix de Guerre to the men of the 369th, the 371st, and the 372nd regiments.

14. After WWI • Black troops returned to America on segregated ships. • Members of the 369th regiment were not permitted to join the farewell parade in New York City. • Even when white Americans offered praise it was shot down with racist stereotypes. • The Milwaukee Sentinel offered a typical compliment: “Those two colored regiments fought well, and it calls for special recognition. IS there no way of getting a cargo of watermelons over there?”

15. THE END