Episode 34: From Harlem to Tuskegee - Like Father, Like Son, Part II

 

Inspired by his eponymous father, Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. became what his father tried to be but was rejected because of his race - he became just the fourth African American cadet accepted to the US Military Academy and the fourth black graduate of that academy.

During his time at West Point, Davis was an invisible man. He roomed alone, ate alone, and endured four years where his fellow cadet refused to speak to him unless necessary to perform official duties. In later years, Davis was vocal about his fellow cadets' lack of leadership, specifically calling out William Westmoreland, a member of Davis' class of 1936, who was First Captain (the senior ranking cadet their final year at the academy), about 35 years before he became the senior US commander in Vietnam.

Already a certified pilot, Davis wanted to be an Army aviator after graduating from West Point but at that time, black officers were not allowed to join the air corps. After World War II kicked off in Europe, US officials became less picky and decided to stand up a few segregated aviation squadrons. The first of these units, filled by pilots who would become known as Tuskegee Airmen, was given to Davis to command.

Davis and his Tuskegee Airmen went on to become some of the most decorated and famous flyers of World War II. After the war, Davis left the Army for the Air Force when that service was created in 1947 and shortly thereafter, the US military was integrated. When the Korean War began in 1950, Colonel Davis was given another field field command - this time F-86 Sabres, America's first jet fighters. He is piloting the nearest jet in this above picture.

In 1954, Davis followed his father again, this time by becoming the first African American general officer in the US Air Force when he was promoted to brigadier general.

By 1965, he had received two more promotions and when he retired in 1970, he entered the retired rolls as a lieutenant general. Little did he know, there was one more promotion in his future.

In 1998, Davis' groundbreaking service was recognized by President Bill Clinton who took the rare step to honor Davis with a rare promotion to full general. President Clinton and Davis' wife Agatha pined on Davis' fourth star at a special ceremony.

General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. died a few months shy of his 90th birthday on July 4, 2002. Honors continued to come his way after his death. In 2017, construction was completed on the first new barracks building at West Point in 50 years and the academy choose to name it in honor of the cadet who was treated as a second class citizen during his time there.

In 2019, the airfield at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado was renamed in honor of General Davis.

As I was finishing up this episode I learned that one of the last Tuskegee Airmen, 102 year-old Brigadier General Charles McGee, a veteran of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, has died. Like Davis, he started his thirty year career in the US Army and transferred to the Air Force when that service was stood up. He retired as a colonel but was honored at the 2019 State of the Union address and promoted the next day by President Trump to Brigadier General in the Oval Office. Details for his funeral are still being worked out but he will be laid to rest at Arlington.

Episode 33: From Harlem to Tuskegee - Like Father, Like Son, Part I

After the 369th Infantry Regiment returned home from World War I, a terrible summer of racial violence spread across the South and into the Midwest. Several lynchings and riots broke out before something resembling peace - or at least a reduction in violence - was reestablished. At the same time, a cultural movement of African American literature, music, art, and entertainment took the United States by storm. Centered in Harlem, the movement - known as the Harlem Renaissance - was the first taste of African American culture for many everyday Americans

Langston Hughes was one of the big authors and political figures to emerge from the Harlem Renaissance that produced twenty six novels, ten books of poetry, and hundreds of short stories.

In addition to the literature boom, Bill "Bojangels" Robinson, the Nicholas Brothers (above), and others put on five black written, produced, directed, and starring Broadway plays and dozens, if not hundreds, of off-Broadway plays. For the first time, African Americans began appearing on stage and on the silver screen without black face makeup and ridiculous accents.

Arguably the most famous artists to come out of the Harlem Renaissance were musicians like Dizzy Gillespie (above), Harlem Hellfighter Nobel Sissle, Eubie Blake, Cab Calloway, Louie Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Billie Holiday, just to name a few, who were emblematic of the mixture of high class society, popular art, and virtuosity of jazz. The invention of the radio brought these performers into the homes of millions of Americans on a daily basis.

In addition to the fame and recognition that came with the Harlem Renaissance, the Roaring Twenties brought an era of prosperity and an increased standard of living to many Americans across many racial and ethnic groups. Unfortunately, the movement was unable to survive the Great Depression and many scholars mark the 1935 Harlem Riot as its demise.

It took several years but eventually the Harlem Hellfighters first commander, Colonel William Hayward's vision for the segregated unit was finally achieved when, on the eve of World War II, it became the first National Guard unit with an all-African American officer corps. The man who was the first black regimental commander in the 369th's storied history was Benjamin O. Davis, Sr.

Though his parents wanted him to attend Howard University in Washington, DC after high school, Davis instead enlisted in the army in 1898 at the outbreak of the Spanish American War and may have lied about his age to do so. He was made a temporary Lieutenant in the 9th Cavalry - the historic Buffalo Soldiers - but would not make it to Cuba before the war ended. 

After the war he was mustered out of service and applied to West Point, hoping to become just the fourth officer in the Military Academy's history. He was not admitted. Instead, he enlisted as a private in the army and within a year had risen to the rank of sergeant major... promotions worked a little different then than they do now! While a sergeant major, Davis served under Charles Young, the third black graduate of West Point. Young tutored Davis on everything he needed to know to become an officer and in 1901, just two years after enlisting as a private, Davis was commissioned a second lieutenant and sent to the Philippines during the Philippines insurrection.

Racial politics of the day not only kept Davis out of combat in World War I, but out of Europe all together. Despite this, and other policies that saw him and other minority officers treated differently, Davis continued to serve proudly. After his promotion to colonel, Davis was made the first African American commander of the Harlem Hellfighters regiment, and it was while serving in that capacity that he was promoted to brigadier general, becoming not only the first African American general officer in the history of the US Army, but the first African American flag officer in the history of the US military.

During World War II, Davis served as a special advisor for African American solders affairs and toured many segregated units in the US and in Europe, doing everything he could to ensure fair treatment of black soldiers. It was during this time that he also became a vocal proponent of full integration in the US military. This policy change wouldn't come until 1948 - six days after he retired.

Though he was out of uniform when the military was integrated, his advocacy and example helped a great many African American service members, including his own son, Benjamin O. Davis, Jr (right), who would be the fourth black graduate in West Point's history and the first general officer in the US Air Force, but that is a story for another day (next week to be exact).

Brigadier General Benjamin O. Davis, Sr. died on November 26, 1970 in the Great Lakes Naval Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Section 2, Grave 478-B.

Episode 32: The Harlem Hellfighters, Part II (Jim Europe & The Black Death)

 

When the Harlem Hellfighters returned from the Great War the two most famous members of the acclaimed regiment were band leader First Lieutenant Jim Europe and Sergeant Henry Johnson who would receive the Medal of Honor for his heroics on the battlefield, but not for nearly a century.

He was already a world famous band leader before joining what would become the 369th Infantry Regiment so after he joined, his commander gave him a simple order, "put together the best damn band in the Army." Johnson did just that, recruiting from the concert halls of New York City for the best talent available, and when he couldn't find enough woodwind players, he went to Puerto Rico where he knew many could be found. After arriving in France, Lieutenant Europe and his band introduced the continent to jazz and the French quickly fell in love with its syncopated sounds. 

Sure he was a band leader, but his primary job in the infantry regiment was to command a machine gun company. He and his musicians were not shielded from time at the front and Jim served on multiple trips into No Mans Land where he routinely came under enemy fire. His first such foray inspired a hit song called On Patrol in No Mans Land which was sung by Nobel Sissle, Europe's assistant director.

While at the front, Europe was gasses and during his recovery - and following the armistice - he took his band to tour Europe where they entertain allied troops and war weary civilians, all while growing their acclaim and popularity.

 After the war, most of the 369th Band stayed with Europe and embarked on a 10-city US tour, with plans to return to Europe for an overseas tour, beginning in England where the Prince of Wales had personally invited them to play. But tragically, Jim would never make it back to Europe. During the intermission at a concert in Boston, Jim Europe was stabbed in the neck with a pin knife by a disgruntled drummer in the band who felt his director had disrespected him. Europe died at a hospital later that night, depriving the African American community one of its most vocal and effective leaders.

Europe received the first public funeral for a black man in New York City history and after the ceremonies ended in Gotham, James Reese Europe was interred at Arlington National Cemetery in Section 2, Grave 3576. His government issue headstone was replace in the 1940s with the marker there today.

Unlike Jim Europe, Henry Johnson was not a household name before shipping out to Europe. That all changed while he was standing watch near a bridge protected by the Hellfighters one a warm summer night. Johnson and his watch partner Needham Roberts heard an unknown number of Germans approaching their outpost. Hoping to take the offensive, Johnson fired a flare, but the Germans responded with several grenades. Roberts was severely injured and Johnson found himself fending off what evidence later showed was likely two to three dozen Germans.

Johnson killed four of his attackers, three of them with his bolo knife, prevented his comrade Roberts from being taken prisoner, and stopped the German raiders from surprising the Hellfighters along their section of the line. For his efforts, Johnson was shot four times and received 17 additional shrapnel wounds. After they realized they were facing an absolute man man the Germans withdrew. When reinforcements finally reached where all the commotion was coming from, they found Johnson on the verge of death, but he miraculously pulled through and was promoted to sergeant.

When the media got a hold of Johnson's story, they quickly dubbed him the Black Death, and soon every American knew the name of this African American hero. While his own government did not immediately recognize his actions, he become the first American to receive the Croix de Guerre from the French government and one of the few to receive it with a gold palm frond indicating exceptional valor. 

When the Hellfighters returned to New York, Johnson road in an open car along the parade route. A random admirer ran out and gave him the flowers in the picture and all along the route, fans of all colors and backgrounds called out his name and nickname as he road by. But after he was mustered out of the Army, a clerical error denied his disability claim. His injuries made it impossible for him to hold a steady job and he began to drink heavily. His alcoholism destroyed his marriage and he died in 1929 at age 32. 

Johnson was mostly forgotten and in time the location of his burial was lost - it was assumed that he was in a pauper's grave in Albany, NY. In the 1990s a New York historical society discovered the truth, he had been interred at Arlington National Cemetery, Section 25, Grave 64 under the name William Henry Johnson. In 1996, a military records review of several minority service members lead to Sergeant Johnson being awarded the Purple Heart and the Silver Star. An additional review saw the Silver Star upgraded to the Distinguished Service Cross, which in time was upgraded to the Medal of Honor. Henry Johnson has no known living relatives so in 2015, President Barak Obama posthumously presented Henry Johnson's Medal of Honor to Sergeant Major Louis Wilson of Johnson's own New York National Guard. The next day he was also inducted into the Pentagon's Hall of Honor.

In the years following the Great War, both Jim Europe and Henry Johnson and their contributions to the country, but fortunately he have been recognized by an entirely new generation of Americans. After his Medal of Honor was awarded, Albany, NY installed a belated monument to their now-honored adopted son - but better late than never.

Episode 31: The Harlem Hellfighters, Part I

At the turn of the 20th century, the US military was a segregated institution and the War Department had plan to establish an all-black infantry division. A division-sized organization of that sort would not be seen until World War II but there were many leaders, both inside and outside the African American community were pushing for an all-black infantry regiment.

There was a lot of push back, including from the Woodrow Wilson White House, about allowing African American soldiers to serve in any capacity outside of menial labor and it was a time when the Klu Klux Klan was on the rise again in the South. The active duty Army proved not yet ready for African American infantry soldiers, but the New York National Guard was willing to give such a unit a chance. 

A quote from a Wilson book was used in the 1915 movie Birth of a Nation - the movie proved to be the inspiration for the resurgence of the Klu Klux Klan in the early 20th century

In 1913, a Nebraska-born lawyer, veteran of the Spanish-American War, and New York National Guard colonel named William Hayward was charged by the governor to raise an Infantry regiment of 3000 African American soldiers. Starting in Harlem where a lot of veterans lived, Hayward raised the New York 15th Infantry Regiment. Unusual for the time, Hayward filled as many of his officer slots with black officers as the state would allow and told his white officers that if they "intended to take a narrower attitude, [they] had better stay out." 

Colonel William Hayward

When the US entered World War I, the 15th was sent to train in South Carolina where they were verbally and physically attacked by the locals. COL Hayward pleaded with the War Department to move them before things got out of hand. Even though their training had only just begun, the War Department decided to send the unit to France.

Even though the Army recruited from the African American community in World War I, of the 2.3 million who volunteered or were drafted, just over 200,000 were accepted into the service, and most of those were put to work in menial labor jobs. 

Recruits for the 15th New York Infantry Regiment in Harlem, NY

The 15th National Guard wanted to fight, but they were not allowed to fight with the American Army, instead they were attached to the French Army and redesignated the 369th United States Infantry Regiment. The 369th was treated much more equally by their French allies, completed its pre-combat training, and were placed in the tranches on the Western front. The unit proved to be made up of fierce fighters who earned honors on the battlefield. Their French allies dubbed them Men of Steel, and their German adversaries called them the Harlem Hellfighters (or the US media claimed that's what the Germans called them. Either way the nickname stuck and the Harlem Hellfighters gained worldwide renown). 

US Army Recruiting Poster