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Race in the Crucible of War: African American Servicemen and the War in Vietnam
When African American servicemen went to fight in the Vietnam War, discrimination and prejudice followed them. Even in a faraway country, their military experiences were shaped by the racial environment of the home front. War is often viewed as a crucible that can transform society, but American race relations proved remarkably durable. In Race in the Crucible of War, Gerald F. Goodwin examines how Black servicemen experienced and interpreted racial issues during their time in Vietnam. Drawing on more than fifty new oral interviews and significant archival research, as well as newspapers, periodicals, memoirs, and documentaries, Goodwin reveals that for many African Americans the front line and the home front were two sides of the same coin. Serving during the same period as the civil rights movement and the race riots in Chicago, Detroit, and dozens of other American cities, these men increasingly connected the racism that they encountered in the barracks and on the battlefields with the tensions and violence that were simmering back home.
304 pages, Paperback
Published January 27, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 3, 2023
While not the definitive overview of racism in general, Race in the Crucible of War: African American Servicemen and the War in Vietnam by Gerald F. Goodwin lays a solid groundwork for further discussion on the topic, specifically connected with the Vietnam War. Founded on statistical data and a few previous publications by different authors, the book demonstrates the racial inequality and prevailing prejudices against black servicemen in the first war with a wholly integrated American army. Inequality manifested itself in the unjust distribution of work (African Americans were often assigned to the dirties tasks like cleaning latrines), harsher punishments for minor transgressions than their white counterparts, unjustifiable refusal of promotion, etc. The disturbances connected to race were so widespread that Gerald F. Goodwin named 1969-1971 (or more precisely, the period starting from Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination) the Racial War, fought within the US Army.
To stick to the truth, the author also shows the authorities' efforts to address the complaints of colored service members. The book's final chapter focuses on the fate of black and white veterans who returned home from Vietnam.
General knowledge about the Vietnam War would be helpful, as the author sometimes attaches examples to specific military operations. Readers may also struggle with the story's dry academic style that especially characterizes the book's first two chapters. However, the broad spectrum of racial problems the author unravels, for example, the rarely talked about racism among Vietnamese of different skin colors, makes the book a highly informative read. Race in the Crucible of War is an intellectual joy equally for lovers of military history and those who want to explore new levels of racism in America.
To stick to the truth, the author also shows the authorities' efforts to address the complaints of colored service members. The book's final chapter focuses on the fate of black and white veterans who returned home from Vietnam.
General knowledge about the Vietnam War would be helpful, as the author sometimes attaches examples to specific military operations. Readers may also struggle with the story's dry academic style that especially characterizes the book's first two chapters. However, the broad spectrum of racial problems the author unravels, for example, the rarely talked about racism among Vietnamese of different skin colors, makes the book a highly informative read. Race in the Crucible of War is an intellectual joy equally for lovers of military history and those who want to explore new levels of racism in America.
August 14, 2023
I do not want to give away the socially and politically complicated relations were between American white soldiers and American black soldiers and Vietnamese soldiers--both North and South. And--Yes thank you--black soldiers got their say about their relationships with white soldiers and the Vietnamese soldiers and civilians. So an attempt at avoiding paternalism was made.
I wanted to read this book for my civil rights study, hoping to find a book that shows how military service furthered American civil rights for black veterans. Not by much.
Goodwin tells how few soldier friendships between American black and white soldiers were maintained through post-war contact. The friendships were maintained in hearts and memory with few letters, phone calls, visits. These friendships could have been the source of placards held by white men and women during marches such as The March on Washington, the sustaining relationships often went missing.
I wanted to read this book for my civil rights study, hoping to find a book that shows how military service furthered American civil rights for black veterans. Not by much.
Goodwin tells how few soldier friendships between American black and white soldiers were maintained through post-war contact. The friendships were maintained in hearts and memory with few letters, phone calls, visits. These friendships could have been the source of placards held by white men and women during marches such as The March on Washington, the sustaining relationships often went missing.
February 3, 2023
An amazing read. I was motivated to read this book because I've been influence greatly by Black Vietnam Veterans. This book tells many of their stories and the unique struggles and experiences they had in Vietnam. Race relations among American soldiers, internal politics, the racial views of Vietnamese, and the views of Black soldiers towards the Vietnamese people and conflict.
August 15, 2023
This book was a lot more than I expected. When I started reading it, I expected a book that was similar to Half American: The Epic Story of African Americans Fighting World War II at Home and Abroad. Half American focused on the treatment of African Americans during WWII and not much more.
This book covered the good and the bad regarding African Americans during Vietnam---but it went beyond just the American treatement towards blacks.
The books initially starts talking about the bonds developed between black and white men in combat. While Executive Order 9981 in 1948 officially ended segregation of the troops, racial lines in the military were still very strong. By Vietnam, the integration of the Army had become more accepted. As a result, men of different races were forced to serve together---and to rely upon one another. People who would never imagine associating themselves with each other became close friends. When your life depended upon your colleagues, you didn't care their race, only that they did their job.
While this may have been reality amongst the grunts, racism still existed within the the military heirarchy. Individual white/black soldiers came to see each other as equals, but a social hierachy still existed in regards to promotions, job assignments, and punishment. Black troops, by any measure came out behind their white compatriots.
So far nothing that I've said should be shocking or surprising.
It is the way it was.
But this only encapuslates the first 1/4 of the book. The other 3/4 of the book delves into other areas of the racial issue.
How was race differentiate in Vietnam?
There is a large section that deals with how the Vietnamese tried to identify with the black solder. "Same-Same" becomes almost a monotonous overture in the book as the communist and Vietnames tried to build relationships with black troops.
Goodwin makes an obvious observation, that is often over looked, that historic advocates for racial equality such as Marcus Garvey and W.E.B. DuBois found themselves associating with communist and anti-imperialist movements not because they supported their political agenda, but because of a shared view on the racial bias.
This is where the book delves into an area which is novel and fascinating---how did the white-black-Vietnamese divide interact.
The book talks about various rumors that were prevalent during the war. A common believe existed that the Vietnamese would not kill black troops because they saw an affinity between them and their own cause. The Vietnamese definitely played upon this idea because some black troops were intentionally spared and freed, simply because they were black. But was this action because the Viet Cong really respected the black troops or were playing upon the racial division in the US?
Viet Cong literature and propaganda definitely knew about the racial tensions in the US? Hanoi Hannah would broadcast about how white men were raping black women while the black troops were fighting. Or how Alabama troopers were beating blacks back home.
The book talked about how race was an issue even before the US became involved in the war. Some of the imagery and rumors that existed during the French occupation was equally horrific and fascinating.
Then there was the aftermath of the Vietnam war.
Anybody familiar with the Vietnam War and it's afermath knows that servicemembers returning home from Vietnam were not treated like those of WWI, WWII, or Korea. Vietnam Vets were largely seen as losers and did not encounter the support troops from other wars did.
The VA hospitals and military acoomodations for returning troops could only go so far. It does not take a rocket scientist to realize that returning black troops often received the short end of the support upon returning home.
Overall, this was very eye opening book that covered aspects I was not expecting to encounter.
This book covered the good and the bad regarding African Americans during Vietnam---but it went beyond just the American treatement towards blacks.
The books initially starts talking about the bonds developed between black and white men in combat. While Executive Order 9981 in 1948 officially ended segregation of the troops, racial lines in the military were still very strong. By Vietnam, the integration of the Army had become more accepted. As a result, men of different races were forced to serve together---and to rely upon one another. People who would never imagine associating themselves with each other became close friends. When your life depended upon your colleagues, you didn't care their race, only that they did their job.
While this may have been reality amongst the grunts, racism still existed within the the military heirarchy. Individual white/black soldiers came to see each other as equals, but a social hierachy still existed in regards to promotions, job assignments, and punishment. Black troops, by any measure came out behind their white compatriots.
So far nothing that I've said should be shocking or surprising.
It is the way it was.
But this only encapuslates the first 1/4 of the book. The other 3/4 of the book delves into other areas of the racial issue.
How was race differentiate in Vietnam?
There is a large section that deals with how the Vietnamese tried to identify with the black solder. "Same-Same" becomes almost a monotonous overture in the book as the communist and Vietnames tried to build relationships with black troops.
Goodwin makes an obvious observation, that is often over looked, that historic advocates for racial equality such as Marcus Garvey and W.E.B. DuBois found themselves associating with communist and anti-imperialist movements not because they supported their political agenda, but because of a shared view on the racial bias.
This is where the book delves into an area which is novel and fascinating---how did the white-black-Vietnamese divide interact.
The book talks about various rumors that were prevalent during the war. A common believe existed that the Vietnamese would not kill black troops because they saw an affinity between them and their own cause. The Vietnamese definitely played upon this idea because some black troops were intentionally spared and freed, simply because they were black. But was this action because the Viet Cong really respected the black troops or were playing upon the racial division in the US?
Viet Cong literature and propaganda definitely knew about the racial tensions in the US? Hanoi Hannah would broadcast about how white men were raping black women while the black troops were fighting. Or how Alabama troopers were beating blacks back home.
The book talked about how race was an issue even before the US became involved in the war. Some of the imagery and rumors that existed during the French occupation was equally horrific and fascinating.
Then there was the aftermath of the Vietnam war.
Anybody familiar with the Vietnam War and it's afermath knows that servicemembers returning home from Vietnam were not treated like those of WWI, WWII, or Korea. Vietnam Vets were largely seen as losers and did not encounter the support troops from other wars did.
The VA hospitals and military acoomodations for returning troops could only go so far. It does not take a rocket scientist to realize that returning black troops often received the short end of the support upon returning home.
Overall, this was very eye opening book that covered aspects I was not expecting to encounter.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews