Note: 1951 MARCH 18 The Department of Defense announces that all basic training units located within the United States are now integrated.
Sept. 23, 1954
C. P. Smith; Principal, Sherman District High School. Seth, W. Va.
Dear Mr. Smith:
As a former student at Sherman High School, I feel it a personal responsibility to share some experiences with the present student body which may help to ease the tension existing there.
The Korean War was small by comparison with the number of people involved in the Second World War. This enabled individuals to stand out through personal acts of courage and valor.
The following accounts are authentic reports of events which occurred in one company of the 32nd Infantry Regiment during the winter and summer of 1953.
The first of these events concerns Private Benjamin Johnson who is credited with saving the lives of an American patrol which had been ambushed and surrounded by the Chinese. When the leader of the supporting group to which Private Johnson belonged was wounded, Johnson personally inspired the remainder of the support to advance to the aid of the encircled patrol by charging boldly into the rear of the enemy using a sub-machine gun to clear a path through which the wounded G.I.s could be evacuated. He didn’t halt his spirited assault even though his face was covered with blood. Blood which ran just as red as that which flowed from the wounds of his companions, even though Ben Johnson’s skin was black.
For his heroic action Private Johnson was decorated with the Silver Star which is the third highest combat award of the United States Army. How much will that Silver Star mean to Ben now that he has returned home where he will be treated as if he were not worthy of the same Bill of Rights he fought for in Korea? Unworthy because his skin is black even though it bears the scars of Russian-made bullets.
The Responsibilities heaped upon the shoulders of a combat company commander are without comparison in civilian life. He is charged with the lives of over two hundred. young soldiers and must lead them through such nightmares as the mortar battered slopes of “Pork Chop” hill during the last month of fighting.
“King” Company was one of the most aggressive units in the fight to retake “Pork Chop”. It was commanded by First Lieutenant Armor who had been with the Company only a few weeks but during that short time had gained the confidence and respect of his men to such a point that they would follow him to the very brink of death. Nothing but words of praise came from the lips of “King” Company’s wounded. as they told of the courageous deeds of the ‘Black Panther” as the G.I.s had affectionately named their colored commander.
It is not intended that you believe all the acts of courage and valor were performed by negros nor that there was never an act of dishonor committed by a colored soldier. For most of their lives they have been treated as something inferior. Should we expect all of them to suddenly find the strength to rise above this treatment? The point that is being stressed is that racial segregation was completely and successfully done away with under the most trying conditions.
Incidents in evidence of the success of the Army’s integration program were not limited to any particular unit. One striking example of this success is recorded in the following paragraph extracted from the March 53 copy of the Reader’s Digest.
“We had a negro Lieutenant in our Battalion, a big good-natured man, he was a born leader. With infectious confidence he led a platoon that included American white and colored troops and South Koreans. It was one of our most efficient platoons.
It became necessary, because of personnel changes, to transfer the big lieutenant to Battalion Headquarters. A deputation of his men protested the change to the company commander. Mr. Pak (Pak Chang, a Korean interpreter) couldn’t get over that. ‘How we have been deceived by propaganda!’ he exploded. ‘Here we see with our own eyes that a colored man is not only an American Officer but such a good officer that his men will do this to keep him.”
Incidents of this type have and will do more to counter- act Communist propaganda among the colored races of the world than millions of dollars in foreign aid. We cannot hope to win the friendship of the Asiatic countries by demonstrations of contempt and prejudice.
In any program of integration one can expect to encounter negros of as many different personalities as can be found among people of the white race. Some of them may be just as belligerent or ignorant as some of the white people you have known, while others will be just as friendly or intelligent. Christian Doctrine proclaims that all men are created equal, but it doesn’t guarantee they will remain so. In the field of character people of all races are scattered far and wide, making it impossible to reasonably discriminate between them except as to what each person is as an individual.
Sincerely yours,
Donald R. Maxey
11 Grant Ave. Morgantown, W. Va.
