African American War Heroes

by James B. Martin (Editor)

Overview

African American war heroes remain largely unsung, their courage and valor relegated to the less traveled corners of history. This work seeks out those heroes—soldiers, sailors, flyers, and marines—who earned their nation's highest medals in defense of freedom and equality. Some of these men and women died on the battlefield. Others returned to civilian life in a segregated country. What they share across time and circumstance is devotion to duty and to the country they defended, even in the face of personal and racial prejudice.

Entries profile decorated African Americans from all of the U.S. conflicts since the Revolutionary War. In addition to providing basic biographical data, each profile offers a detailed account of the individual's heroic actions. The book also offers sidebars on events and topics relevant to African Americans in the U.S. armed forces, such as histories of the 54th Massachusetts and the Tuskegee Airmen.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781610693660
Publisher:	ABC-CLIO, Incorporated
Publication date:	05/12/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	203
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

James B. Martin, PhD, is associate dean of academics at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, KS.

Table of Contents

List of Entries
Preface
Introduction
BIOGRAPHICAL ENTRIES
Bibliography
Index
About the Editor
Contributors

Editorial Reviews

09/15/2014
Here in one concise volume is a collection of biographical profiles of 80 African American war heroes, covered in one-and-a-half to two-page-long summaries each. The basics, such as date and place of birth, are included, as are details regarding when the person joined the military and the acts of valor performed. Each biography concludes with information about what the person did during peacetime (if that individual was not killed in combat). Major conflicts, such as World War I and World War II, are represented, along with less-well-covered events (the Indian Wars, the Spanish American War). The inclusion of direct quotes adds heart-wrenching candor to the narratives. Fred Cherry, for example, a fighter pilot during the Vietnam War, recounts a bone-scraping, sans-anesthesia surgery he endured at the hands of the enemy: "[The North Vietnamese] had my face covered with a sheet. And they kept raising it to see if I'm going to beg for mercy, going to scream. And each time they looked down at me, I would look up at them and smile." The authors do a great job of pointing out the additional challenges faced by African American combatants—segregation, lack of respect from peers and commanders, no recognition for services rendered, and so on. One major flaw—the only woman in the book is Harriet Tubman. VERDICT Aside from this major omission, this is an outstanding resource.—Jennifer Prince, Buncombe Cty. P.L., NC

Library Journal

Although some of the individuals are well-known (e.g., Dorie Miller, Harriet Tubman), the stories of the lesser-known figures such as World War I veteran Henry L. Johnson of 'The Harlem Hellfighters' makes this collection an excellent addition to all African American studies and U.S. military history collections.” —ARBAonline

“This unique directory addresses individuals often overlooked in standard texts and provides sufficient context so that researchers can appreciate the continuing prejudice these individuals faced. Large public and high school libraries may want to consider this specialized volume for their collections.” —Booklist

From the Publisher