LEARNING TOGETHER: The Story of America
Black men who volunteered to fight in World War I were initially turned away. It wasn’t until the United States government realized that it didn’t have enough men to fight that the Selective Service Act of 1917 was passed.
Over a million African Americans answered the call from their nation to serve in the Great War. Just one week after President Woodrow Wilson’s declaration of war against Germany, the War Department stopped accepting Black volunteers. Why? Because an overwhelming number of Black men had volunteered. And although African Americans represented only 10 percent of the population at this time, they represented 13 percent of draft volunteers.
Sadly, the act of volunteering to put your life on the line for your country didn’t stop discrimination from happening. Many American military leaders believed that an all-Black regiment would make poor soldiers. Everything issued to them was second rate, from their uniforms to their weapons. And because some white American soldiers refused to serve with these Black soldiers they were transferred to the French Army, who were instructed by our military leaders to not to see these Black men as real soldiers. It boggles the mind that during a world war that hate, racism, and segregation was still the law of the land.
One of the most famous all-black regiments was the Harlem Hellfighters. It was the Germans who gave them the nicknamed “hell-fighters” because of their fierce combat skills. The Harlem Hellfighters from the 369th Infantry Regiment (previously the 15th Regiment New York National Guards) saw 191 days of continuous combat on the front line of battle.
The Harlem Hellfighters regiment had black officers which was very unusual for the time. Their heroic actions made them the most decorated regiments in the war; however, this bravery came with a heavy price. They suffered over 1, 500 casualties.
Some of the awards given to the Harlem Hellfighters for their selfless sacrifice was the Croix de Guerre medal from the French government, along with citations and decorations for valor. Some members also received the Distinguished Service Cross from the United States.
One standout heroic fighter was Private Henry Johnson who battled German soldiers despite being wounded and out of bullets was posthumously given the Medal of Honor in 2015.
Many of the Black soldiers viewed serving in the war as their opportunity to prove once and for all that they were not only competent soldiers and patriots willing to fight and die for their country but deserving of full citizenship back home in America.
Although they weren’t allowed to participate in the farewell parade given when American soldiers going off to war, the Harlem Hellfighters, for fighting valiantly during the Great War, were finally given their hero’s welcome via a huge victory parade on Fifth Avenue in New York City when they returned home.
Noteworthy Fact(s):
Of the 350,000 plus Black Americans who served in Europe in World War I, 42,000 of these all-black military regiments were involved in combat. A major accomplishment since most Black soldiers were expected to perform manual labor.
The Harlem Hellfighters, the most decorated unit, were called Men of Bronze for their bravery in combat by the French.
OUR HISTORY MATTERS
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