|
[http://www.aframnews.com/html/includes/left_nav_1.htm]
|
A Black Soldier’s Story
African America’s vets feel Kerry’s pain
“Why should we honor those that die upon fields of battle? A man may show as
reckless a courage by entering into the abyss of himself.” Perhaps the
nebulous question posed by the great Irish Poet, William Butler Yeats
(1865-1939), in Mosada: A Dramatic Poem, is a bit too abstract of a concept
for “dirty tricks” politicians to grasp. Even, so
when one factors in the shameful history of how America systematically
disparaged African warriors, who fought, bled and died for the land of the
free, it’s quite apropos to address the controversy over the legitimacy of
presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry’s (real or imagined) heroics in
“Nam.”
They’ve been there. Done that…. And definitely feel Kerry’s pain.In fact,
they could teach Kerry, who once vilified his nation, a thing or two about
being dishonored after serving America The Beautiful with valor and honor.
However, African American News & Issues will defer to the Quartermaster
Heraldic Section & The U. S. Army Institute of Heraldry’s website
(www.qmfound.com/heraldry), that reveals: “Military heraldic symbols have
been used in the U.S. military since the American Revolution. But it was not
until 1919 that the heraldry activity was established as a separate function
within the Army General Staff. This was in response to a 17 June 1918 letter
to Secretary of War Newton D. Baker from President Woodrow Wilson requesting
a higher quality of design and workmanship in new military medals.
“Colonel Robert E. Wyllie, Chief of the equipment branch of the General
Staff was made responsible for military heraldry. He established the general
rules and regulations that governed design of heraldic items. In his own
words he, ‘...handled all matters connected with the design, approval,
distribution, etc., of equipment on the General Staff level. During the war
(World War I) I supervised the design of the Victory medal, the Victory
button, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Air Corps insignia...’ The
General Staff requested that Quartermaster Corps personnel prepare paintings
and manufacturing drawings of heraldic and other symbolic designs. The Army
Adjutant General’s office assumed responsibility of the institute in 1962
when the office of the Quartermaster General ceased to exist due to Army
reorganization.
“In 1987 another realignment action put the Institute under the U. S. Total
Army Personnel Command. In April 1994 the Institute of Heraldic Section and
the Institute of Heraldry. It has on display the first 50 star flag, one of
the largest collections of presidential flags and an extensive collection of
chevrons, patches, unit crests and medals.” Kerry, who was taking political
fire from the Swift Boat Veteran’s who are challenging his account of his
military service, has called for President George W. Bush to “play fair,”
but he hasn’t outright condemned the group. But a New York Times article
reveals: “Mr. Bush's comments, in a half-hour interview with The New York
Times, undercut a central accusation leveled by the veterans group, Swift
Boat Veterans for Truth, whose unproven attacks on Mr. Kerry have dominated
the political debate.
“In the interview, which included topics like preparations for the
Republican National Convention, the reconstruction of Iraq and the twin
nuclear threats of North Korea and Iran, Mr. Bush portrayed himself as a
victim of the same type of political interest groups - called 527 committees
for the section of the tax code that created them - that are attacking Mr.
Kerry. ‘I understand how Senator Kerry feels - I've been attacked by 527's
too,' he said, adding that he had spoken earlier in the day to Senator John
McCain and had agreed to join him in a lawsuit against the Federal Election
Commission to bar the groups.” On the other hand, since Bush failed to
honorably serve his country during the Vietnam war, he doesn’t truly feel
Kerry’s pain. But, surely Black America’s mistreated veterans certainly can.
Hundreds, if not thousands of Black heroes never got a sincere thank you,
let along their deserving medals. And that salient fact has nothing to do
with a Black perspective. That reality was recorded for posterity by no less
than the Army Public Affair’s ARNEWS report that revealed in its Jan. 13,
1997 edition: “Former 1st Lt. Vernon J. Baker, of St. Maries, Idaho, is one
of 7 black World War II veterans that were presented Medals of Honor Jan. 13
by President William Clinton, making them the only black recipients of the
medal for World War II. Receiving the medals posthumously: Maj. Charles L.
Thomas (Detroit, Michigan); First Lt. John R. Fox (Cincinnati, Ohio); Staff
Sgt. Ruben Rivers (Oklahoma City, Okla); Staff Sgt. Edward A. Carter Jr.(Los
Angeles); Pfc. Willy F. James Jr.(Kansas City, Mo.) and Pvt. George Watson,
of Birmingham, Alabama.
“Where possible, family members accepted the honors for the deceased
soldiers.
With the exception of Rivers, who was previously awarded the Silver Star,
they were all recipients of Distinguished Service Crosses, the nation's
second-highest award for valor in combat. The Silver Star is the
third-highest. The presentations, according to Clinton, are taking place
because due recognition was not accorded these soldiers earlier. To
recognize them now, Congress authorized a statute of limitations waiver for
them that had expired in 1952. The seven veterans also will be inducted to
the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes in a Monday afternoon ceremony hosted by Army
Chief of Staff General Dennis J. Reimer. In 1943, because Supreme Allied
Commander Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower felt that not enough Medals of Honor
were being awarded.
“In fact, he upgraded a number of Distinguished Service Award
recommendations to Medal of Honor recommendations. There is also precedent
for waiving the statute of limitation. In 1991, black World War I veteran
Cpl. Freddie Stowers, who served with the 93rd Infantry Division, got the
Medal of Honor by virtue of a waiver 73 years after his death. Stowers had
been cited posthumously for leading his squad in an attack against
entrenched mortar and machine-gun positions in France that had caused more
than 50 percent casualties in his company. He was killed in the assault. His
is the only Medal of Honor presented to a black service member for World War
I. The presentations are the result of a study by Shaw University, in
Raleigh, N.C., which was contracted by the Army in 1993 to study the
process.
“The study was to determine if there was a racial disparity in the way Medal
of Honor recipients were selected. Out of 432 presented for World War II,
none went to any of more than a million blacks who served. Shaw found that
there was disparity, and said the political climate and Army practices
during the war guaranteed that no black soldier would receive the military's
top award. The seven were among those members of the study group thought had
performed to the Medal of Honor's "above and beyond the call of duty"
standard. While no documentary evidence could be found among military
records of any blacks being recommended for the Medal of Honor, former Capt.
David Williams, a white officer attached to the 761st Tank Battalion, told
reporters he recommended Rivers for one in 1944.
“Shaw University's 10 recommendations were forwarded to a board of generals
at the Pentagon. These seven were selected from the list.” Truthfully,
politics and racist has long sullied the medal complex. A fact that led a
veteran group to launch an effort to “Restore the value of Medals.” It’s
website’s (www.g2mil.com/awards) preface reads: “Today, the awards system is
an embarrassment for most American servicemen. End-of-tour and retirement
awards are common, with the recipient often required to write his own
citation. Many units have quotas for awards they must give out, and
headquarters personnel are most likely to be decorated.
“Officers are more likely to receive awards, especially higher awards. As a
result, senior American military officers with no combat experience wear a
chest full of medals. This invites ridicule from foreign officers and
civilians who secretly mock the ‘Christmas Tree’ look, similar to that of
pompous dictators. This also produces an enormous paperwork burden.”
Ironically, that’s exactly what the SBV’s are accusing Kerry of doing.
|
