Brothers in Valor: Battlefield Stories of the 89 African Americans Awarded the Medal of Honor

by Robert F. Jefferson, Jr., Col. Guion S. Bluford, Jr. PhD, US Air Force (Ret.), NASA astronaut (Ret.), the first African-American (Foreword by)

Overview

During the Battle of Fort Wagner in 1863, Sgt. William Harvey Carney picked up the fallen flag from his lifeless comrade. He waved the flag for all of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry to see and led the way to the parapet to plant the colors. After Col. Robert Gould Shaw was mortally wounded, Carney inspired his infantry forward. Even after sustaining severe wounds, Carney proudly declared, “Boys, the old flag never touched the ground!” After this battle, Carney became the first African American to receive the Medal of Honor.


Since the American Civil War, scores of African Americans have served with great distinction. Through thousands of historical accounts, photographs, and documentary evidence, Robert Jefferson introduces the 89 black soldiers who continued forward when all odds were against them. The heroes within these pages faced certain death and definite danger without flinching.


Jefferson paints a vivid portrait of African-American soldiers who carried the flag of freedom and how they reshaped the very definition of courage under fire during some of the most harrowing moments in United States military history. In turn, their courage and determination left an indelible mark on the American portrait.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493060832
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	11/01/2021
Pages:	248
Sales rank:	1,039,823
Product dimensions:	6.70(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Robert F. Jefferson, Jr. is an associate professor of history and at the University of New Mexico. Dr. Jefferson holds the PhD in American history from the University of Michigan. Originally from South Carolina, he currently resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For more information, please visit www.robertjeffersonjr.com

Table of Contents

Foreword vii

Introduction ix

Chapter 1 "For Honor, Duty, and Liberty": Heroes of the Civil War (1862-1865) 1

Chapter 2 Frontier Honor: Heroes of the Indian Wars (1867-1897) 23

Chapter 3 "Honor to the Race": Black Loyalists and the American Wars for Empire in Cuba and the Philippines (1898-1917) 43

Chapter 4 Carrying the Banner of Hope: Heroes from the War to End All Wars (1917-1918) 67

Chapter 5 Seizing the Hero's Mantle: Heroes in World War II (1941-1945) 91

Chapter 6 Cold War Civil Rights Warriors: The Korean War and Black Portraits of Bravery (1950-1953) 117

Chapter 7 Soldiers in the Second Indochina War: The Vietnam War and Black Heroism under Fire (1965-1973) 135

Epilogue Keeping the Faith: Lessons of Black Heroism for Twenty-First-Century America 161

Pantheon of Heroes 167

Appendix 189

Endnotes 199

Index 223

Photo Credits 231

About the Author 232

Editorial Reviews

Robert Jefferson's Brothers in Valor is a book that should attract a wide and diverse readership. He skillfully integrates narratives of African-American heroism into a broader discussion of race, the military, and American history. Written with eloquence and passion , Jefferson has restored an important chapter in our nation’s martial heritage.

Brian McAllister Linn

Brothers in Valor is a superb history of the 89 courageous African-American Servicemen  who were awarded the Medal of Honor from the bloody Civil War to the bitter struggles of Vietnam. These stories chronicle courage “above and beyond the call of duty.” Dr. Jefferson’s beautifully researched book is not just a spellbinding tale of unbelievable acts of courage, but also explores the reality of soldiers who struggled against an enemy on two fronts.  The racial injustice of America’s past was incredible and cruel. These brave men had to face the storm of battle and also fight to be recognized as patriots, heroes, and leaders.  America has unfinished business in the struggle for equality.  This magnificent book raises up as examples brave men who America can learn from.

Barry R. McCaffrey

This is a thoughtful, engaging and important book, and it is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how service and sacrifice have preserved our freedom.

Jack Jacobs

Brothers in Valor recovers the military history of the eighty-nine black soldiers who have received the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor, a collection of fighting extraordinaires who spanned the American Civil War, Philippine insurgency, the World Wars, Cold War, and Vietnam conflict. This exciting work is about more than combat, however. It is an important examination of what the battlefield experiences of these men came to mean as a nation struggled its way toward greater equality and through a debate over how to define honor and valor on the field of battle. Ultimately, the exceptional courage harnessed by this intrepid group of black soldiers championed the cause of citizenship, freedom, and the civil rights for every American. Highly recommended.

Dr. Barton A. Myers