Fighting in the Jim Crow Army: Black Men and Women Remember World War II

In 1942, the U.S. Army activated two infantry divisions--the 93rd (""Blue Helmets"") and 92nd (""Buffalo Soldiers"")--of African-American enlisted men and junior officers. These segregated units were commanded by white senior officers--yet were considered all black. Beginning in 1944, the 93rd was deployed to action in the South Pacific and the 92nd to Italy. Based on a thorough sifting of the available records and on oral histories obtained by the author, this volume describes the genesis, training, service and legacies of these units. Morehouse organizes threads from many individual stories into coherent descriptions of contemporary culture and of conditions in the segregated black divisions, conveying all of the soldiers' frustration, anger and humiliation from discrimination, and the joy of their victories. A doctoral candidate in African-American studies at the University of California, Morehouse is connected to her topic as well through her father's service as a white officer in the 93rd. Her research is a striking and memorable contribution to cultural history, but won't have much direct appeal beyond WWII buffs and a small niche of the African-American studies market. (Feb.)