The Double V: How Wars, Protest, and Harry Truman Desegregated America’s Military

by Rawn James Jr.

Executive Order 9981, issued by President Harry Truman on July 26, 1948, desegregated all branches of the United States military by decree. EO 9981 is often portrayed as a heroic and unexpected move by Truman. But in reality, Truman's history-making order was the culmination of more than 150 years of legal, political, and moral struggle.??

Beginning with the Revolutionary War, African Americans had used military service to do their patriotic duty and to advance the cause of civil rights. The fight for a desegregated military was truly a long war-decades of protest and labor highlighted by bravery on the fields of France, in the skies over Germany, and in the face of deep-seated racism on the military bases at home. Today, the military is one of the most truly diverse institutions in America.

In The Double V, Rawn James, Jr.the son and grandson of African American veterans expertly narrates the remarkable history of how the strugge for equality in the military helped give rise to their fight for equality in civilian society. Taking the reader from Crispus Attucks to President Barack Obama, The Double V illuminates the African American military tradition as a metaphor for their unique and dynamic role in American history.

Genres: History, American History, World War II, Military History, Nonfiction, Politics, United States

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 8, 2013

Reviews

[Mikey B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A letter from President Truman to a friend of his in Kansas City (page 219 my book)

“The main difficulty with the South is that they are living eighty years behind the times and the sooner they come out of it the better it will be for the country and themselves...I am asking for equality of opportunity for all human beings and, as long as I stay here, I am going to continue that fight...When a Mayor and a City Marshall can take a negro Sergeant off a bus in South Carolina, beat him up and put out one of his eyes, and nothing is done about it by the State Authorities, something is radically wrong with the system...I can’t approve of such goings on and I shall never approve it, as long as I am here...I am going to try to remedy it and if that ends up in my failure to be re-elected, that failure will be in a good cause.”
(This letter was held in private until after Truman’s death in 1972)

This book elucidates the struggle of African-Americans to participate fully in all branches of the U.S. military. The author gives us the history of African-Americans in the Civil War and more so in World Wars’ I and II.

All the armed forces were segregated in terms of eating areas, sleeping quarters... In Southern states African American soldiers were treated with disdain and worse by the civilian population – and in fact it sometimes reached the point of a mini-war.

Many attempts were made to desegregate the armed forces by the NAACP and other civil rights groups, but were met with unyielding resistance within the military and the government. Both would claim that the military was not the place to experiment with social change or that the military was merely a reflection of the overall society.

The Roosevelt administration is portrayed as tepid in response to several requests to desegregate – only small areas of the navy during World War II were desegregated like training schools. For the most part African Americans were relegated to cooks in the navy and loading and unloading cargo (of which there was plenty) in the army. Much to their disappointment relatively few were in fighting zones.

Despite all this, a significant proportion of African-Americans wanted to be in the military because, compared to life elsewhere, it at least offered some recognition and responsibilities for duties performed.

The title “Double V” refers to both victory in war and on the home front to gain social equality. African-Americans were very cognizant of the fact that in both World Wars’ they were fighting for democracy abroad while at home they had very little of it.

Desegregation finally started to happen in the late 1940’s when the Truman administration finally decided to react after decades of pressure. There was no need to pass these laws through Congress and Senate as the Armed forces were directly under the jurisdiction of the President. Afterwards the armed forces became the vanguard of U.S. society because soon after, in the 1950’s, the struggle shifted to civil society. As the author points out it is ironic today that the U.S. military promotes its ethnic diversity, whereas prior to 1950 this diversity was seen as anathema to an effective military force.

This book outlines well the struggle to achieve social equality in the U.S. military and how President Truman helped make this happen.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important story and an inspiring one--the story of the Black soldiers and sailors and their struggle to achieve equality--on the battlefield and on the home front--the "double victory."
Author Rawn James, Jr., begins the story with African Americans serving in the American Revolution and then in the Civil War. In the Civil War, 179,000 African Americans served in the US Army and Navy ( according to James; I've seen a figure closer to 200,000), 40,000 Black soldiers giving their lives for the United States. Black soldiers served in segregated units under white officers while Black sailors were integrated on US ships ( also under white officers). World War I also saw Black soldiers in segregated units but the black sailors were essentially gone. As a result of "Jim Crow," Blacks in the Navy were assigned to mess and steward duty, permitted only to cook and serve food to white sailors.
World War II-- and a strong push was made by African Americans for an integrated military to fight the war against fascism. It was not to happen. Franklin Roosevelt felt beholden to the Southern segregationist wing of the Democratic Party--Black soldiers would continue to serve in segregated units. But some progress was made by the end of the war and it was achieved mainly in the Navy. The Navy launched the USS Mason--America's first warship manned almost entirely by Black sailors. The Navy also made the effort to commission a number of Black officers. By the end of the war, the Navy integrated more ships. Another sign of progress was that, for the first time in their history, the United States Marine Corps inducted Black men into their ranks. However, Blacks would serve in segregated units in the Corps as they did in the Army.
It would take another president--Harry Truman-- and another war--the Korean War--to desegregate the US armed forces completely. FDR's successor, Truman, signed Executive Order 9981 0n July 26, 1948, to desegregate the military. It was most unexpected because Truman had been seen as a Senator ( from Missouri) who was very friendly with other Southern Senators. It was a great victory for civil rights... but the Army dragged its heels. When US troops were sent to Korea in 1950, there were still segregated units. But as white combat soldiers suffered casualties in battle, the commanders started to replace them with both white and Black soldiers. Amazingly, for some, anyway, integration seemed to work. When Gen. MacArthur was relieved of command by Truman in 1951, he was replaced by Gen. Matthew Ridgeway, who then integrated his entire command.
James states that the United States military-the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force- have become the most racially integrated mass organization in the world. It was a very long and difficult road to get there but it was finally done. I only hope it continues that way.

[Ruth Francisco · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a terrific book. Like most people, I thought that the Civil Rights movement started in the sixties. But, as Rawn James points out, it really started with the Double V movement and the push to integrate the armed services in World War II. A fascinating read, especially for anyone who wonders how movements get started. Quite astonishingly, it is often one or two people, pushing hard for what they believe in. One man CAN make a difference.

[Mari-Jo Nederhoed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insight into the Jim Crow Era and cultural challenges in our military history.

[Joshunda Sanders]

If you're interested in the politics and events that led to the integration of the armed forces this is an important addition, with a lot of good insight. Especially now that we have our first African American commander-in-chief, Rawn James Jr. tells stories that are often obscured in conversations about black men and women in the military. I didn't realize that when blacks were allowed into the military initially that it was in service capacities before they were allowed to be soldiers or officers, or that the Marines was the last branch of the military to fully desegregate.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look at racism throughout America's history, not just in the military. The author's style is very matter-of-fact (hey, he's a lawyer) and generally without personal subjectivity (he's African American, too). In school, you learn about slavery, segregation, and civil rights in different classes over the years. This book covers all of those eras back-to-back (which is why I find the book's title misleading). It is truly eye opening. Parts of this book get a bit slow and sometimes seem to jump around in time, but I appreciated this book on the whole.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good overview of the integration of African American serving men and women into the Armed Forces. There was a lot I didn't know going into this book. I came away with a greater appreciation of the struggle it took to allow black people to serve in the way they do today. It seems common sense looking back now from the 21st century, but as far back as 70 years ago, it was not the case.

[Beige Alert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good summary of the Black experience in the armed forces during WW1 and WW2, but not as deep a narrative as anticipated. Too much on Truman, not enough original research and not nearly enough info on A. Philip Randolph.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Valuable social history, well-written. I would have liked more detail about the actual integration period itself, but I learned a lot.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a somewhat biased record of the struggle for black equality in American . It is also a history of desegregation of the United States armed forces.