To Serve My Country, to Serve My Race: The Story of the Only African-American WACS Stationed Overseas During World War II

by Brenda L. Moore

The story of the historic 6888th, the first United States Women's Army Corps unit of African American women to serve overseas

While African American men and white women were invited, if belatedly, to serve their country abroad, African American women were excluded for overseas duty throughout most of WWII. However, under political pressure from legislators like Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., the NAACP, the Black press, and even President Roosevelt, the US War Department was forced to deploy African American women to the European theater in 1945.

African American women answered the call to serve from all over the country, from every socioeconomic stratum. Stationed in France and England at the end of World War II, the 6888th brought together women like Mary Daniel Williams, a cook in the unit who signed up for the Army to escape the slums of Cleveland and to improve her ninth-grade education, and Margaret Barnes Jones, the unit’s public relations officer, who grew up in a comfortable household with a politically active mother who encouraged her to challenge the system.

Despite the social, political, and economic restrictions imposed upon these women in their own country, they were eager to serve, not only out of patriotism but out of a desire to uplift their race and dispel bigoted preconceptions about their abilities. Elaine Bennett, a First Sergeant, joined because "I wanted to prove to myself and maybe to the world that we would give what we had back to the United States as a confirmation that we were full- fledged citizens."

Filled with compelling personal stories based on extensive interviews, To Serve My Country, To Serve My Race is the first book to document the lives of these courageous pioneers. It reveals how their Army experience affected them for the rest of their lives and how they, in turn, transformed the US military forever.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, War, World War II, Feminism

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Brenda L. Moore is an associate professor of sociology at SUNY Buffalo. She earned her BA from State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1980, and her MA (1984) and Ph.D. (1987) from the University of Chicago.

Reviews

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

This work falls into many categories. During WW II minorities essentially had to fight to be able to serve their country. For African-American women it was doubly hard because 1) they were African-American and 2) they were female. Several of the women who were interviewed for this book had never really faced segregation until they enlisted to serve Uncle Sam. Fortunately, many of the women were well educated and able to overcome the discrimination against themselves and their unit. While overseas in Great Britain and France they faced discrimination, not by the Europeans but by countrymen both officers and enlisted. As luck would have it, there were a few officers who realized their worth and provided opportunities for them. While many people have heard about the Japanese-American unit and the Native American Windtalkers, few know of the history of colored women in the US military in WW II. I highly recommend this book to any willing to recognize that the complete story is never really told until long after the event, if ever.

[Shannan Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Sisters in Arms by Kia Alderson, I had to go back to some of the resources she used. This was such an informative book. I really loved hearing about the black women who were there. Just to read what some of our elders and ancestors went through was more of an eye opener. I love an always devour stories like this, and I will continue to do so. Such a good read and resource

[Sara Waltz · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'll be honest, I didn't finish this book. It reads like a research paper despite the title indicating stories. The topic is great. I just couldn't get past the dryness of the book. I do, however, highly recommend the movie based on this story ("The Six Triple Eight").

[Penny Nagel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this book, I thought it would read like a novel. This book read more like a case study/history book. While it was informative, I am looking forward to watching the movie 6888.

[Yvonne · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was terrible. I couldn't finish it. It was like reading a college history textbook.

[Fatima Davila]

I just started reading this book and have only read a part of the introduction (chapter 1). From what I have read so far this book talks about the story of the first group of African American women to be stationed and serve overseas during World War ll. In the introduction it has showed some interviewed women about why and how they made the choice of serving their country. It has also talked about the first few small groups and organizations that led women to the choice of going over seas.