Blacks in the Korean War
African-Americans in the Korean War
July 26, 1948 was a red-letter day in American history. U.S. President Harry Truman signed Executive Order 9981, desegregating the armed forces. Truman declared, “there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion or national origin.” The president acted upon the wishes of many people, black and white, who believed that if African-Americans and other people of color served their country with honor, they should not be subjected to racial discrimination or violence.
Just two years after Truman issued Executive Order 9981, North Korea invaded South Korea, putting the new policy to the test. Though the order had come from their Commander in Chief, many senior American military commanders simply ignored it. They had spent their entire careers training and fighting in a segregated army and weren’t going to integrate their units without a fight. So, even though the armed forces had officially been desegregated, artillery units like the 503rd Battalion remained all black.
Source:
Korean War Legacy Foundation
Author and publish date not stated.
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/chapters/african-americans-in-the-korean-war/
Black Americans in The US Military from the American Revolution
to The Korean War: The Korean War
General Douglas MacArthur, who now commanded the U.S. occupation of Japan, originally regarded the surprise attack launched by North Korea on June 25, 1950, merely as a border war. MacArthur had severely underestimated the size of the invasion force of the NKPA, or North Korean People’s Army.
Truman replaced MacArthur with General Matthew B. Ridgway, who strongly opposed segregation of forces. His effort to desegregate met strong opposition from Major General Edward M. Almond, a vilified racist. Almond would reintegrate already integrated units and deny approval of medals for Black soldiers. Still, the 24th Infantry achieved the first victory of the war, and the first medals of Honor were awarded to Black soldiers from this unit.
The article includes heroism of several African Americans during the Korean War.
Source:
New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center
Written by David Omahen
Pentagon honors African-Americans in Korean War
The Korean War was the first American war in which desegregated units took part. Although President Harry S. Truman gave the orders to desegregate the military in 1948, several all-black units participated in the early stages of what some call "the forgotten war."
Col. David J. Clark, director of the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration Committee, told ceremony attendees he found it "simply astonishing" that African-Americans went off to fight for the rights of others, while they were still lacking equal rights at home.
Source:
US Army website
By J.D. Leipold; January 20, 2012
https://www.army.mil/article/51859/pentagon_honors_african_americans_in_korean_war