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World War II

African Americans in WW2

African Americans played an important role in the military during World War 2. The events of World War 2 helped to force social changes which included the desegregation of the U.S. military forces. This was a major event in the history of Civil Rights in the United States.

Tuskegee Airmen standing at attention
The Tuskegee Airmen from the US Air Force

Segregation

The U.S. military was still segregated during World War 2. Segregation is when people are separated by race or the color of their skin. Black and white soldiers did not work or fight in the same military units. Each unit would have only all white or all black soldiers.

What jobs did they have?

At the start of the war, African American soldiers were generally not a part of the fighting troops. They worked behind the fighting lines driving supply trucks, maintaining war vehicles, and in other support roles. However, by the end of the war, African American soldiers began to be used in fighting roles. They served as fighter pilots, tank operators, ground troops, and officers.

WW2 war poster
War poster featuring
a Tuskegee Airman
Source: National Archives
Tuskegee Airmen
One of the most famous groups of African American soldiers was the Tuskegee Airmen. They were the first group of African American pilots in the U.S. military. They flew thousands of bombing and fighting missions over Italy during the war. Sixty-six of them gave their lives in combat.

761st Tank Battalion

Another famous group of African American soldiers was the 761st Tank Battalion. The 761st fought under General George Patton during the Battle of the Bulge. They were part of the reinforcements that helped to save the city of Bastogne that turned the tide of the battle.

Desegregation of the Armed Forces

Before and during the war, federal law stated that black troops could not fight alongside white troops. However, Dwight D. Eisenhower did allow African-American soldiers to fight in previously all white units during the Battle of the Bulge. The official segregation of the U.S. military ended a few years after the war when President Harry S. Truman issued an executive order desegregating the armed forces in 1948.

Famous African American Soldiers During WW2

Doris Miller from the US Navy
Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. was commander of the Tuskegee Airmen during World War 2. He continued to serve in the army after the war and became the first African-American general. He earned several awards including the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross Air Medal.

Doris Miller was a cook for the United States Navy. During the Attack on Pearl Harbor, Miller fired at incoming Japanese bombers using an anti-aircraft machine gun. He also rescued a number of injured soldiers saving their lives. He was first African American awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism.

Samuel L. Gravely, Jr. served as commander of the USS PC-1264, a ship that hunted down enemy submarines. The crew of the ship was mostly African-American and Gravely was the first African American officer of an active fighting U.S. navy ship. Gravely later rose to the rank of vice admiral serving in both the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

Interesting Facts about African Americans in WW2 Activities

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    • Learn More about World War II:

    Overview:
    World War II Timeline
    Allied Powers and Leaders
    Axis Powers and Leaders
    Causes of WW2
    War in Europe
    War in the Pacific
    After the War

    Battles:
    Battle of Britain
    Battle of the Atlantic
    Pearl Harbor
    Battle of Stalingrad
    D-Day (Invasion of Normandy)
    Battle of the Bulge
    Battle of Berlin
    Battle of Midway
    Battle of Guadalcanal
    Battle of Iwo Jima

    Events:
    The Holocaust
    Japanese Internment Camps
    Bataan Death March
    Fireside Chats
    Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Atomic Bomb)
    War Crimes Trials
    Recovery and the Marshall Plan
    		 Leaders:
    Winston Churchill
    Charles de Gaulle
    Franklin D. Roosevelt
    Harry S. Truman
    Dwight D. Eisenhower
    Douglas MacArthur
    George Patton
    Adolf Hitler
    Joseph Stalin
    Benito Mussolini
    Hirohito
    Anne Frank
    Eleanor Roosevelt

    Other:
    The US Home Front
    Women of World War II
    African Americans in WW2
    Spies and Secret Agents
    Aircraft
    Aircraft Carriers
    Technology
    World War II Glossary and Terms

    Works Cited

    History >> World War 2 for Kids


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