"Greatest Generation" survey on race, sex and combat during World War II runs counter to its wholeso

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/12/20/greatest-generation-survey-race-sex/

No paywall
https://archive.ph/v54Xf


In August 1944, an American soldier finishing up an Army survey was asked whether he had any further remarks. He did.

“White supremacy must be maintained,” he wrote.

“I’ll fight if necessary to prevent racial equality. I’ll never salute a negro officer and I’ll not take orders from a negroe. I’m sick of the army’s method of treating …[Black soldiers] as if they were human. Segregation of the races must continue.”

Another soldier wrote: “God has placed between us a barrier of color … We must accept this barrier and live, fight, and play separately.”

These harsh views, and others, from the segregated Army of World War II, emerge in a new project at Virginia Tech that presents the uncensored results of dozens of surveys the service administered to soldiers during the war.

*snip*

[JanMichael]

1. Thank you that was fascinating.

[Progressive Jones]

2. "Greatest Generation" has never been anything but a propaganda slogan. nt

[keithbvadu2]

3. Surprisingly, they do not mention religion or cultural animosities such as north/south.

Surprisingly, they do not mention religion or cultural animosities such as north/south.

Surely those two would have been just as controversial.

[Solly Mack]

4. Are people really shocked by this?

And no, I am not going to say it was "the times". Because hate and ignorance aren't a matter of "the times".

Hate and ignorance are still hate and ignorance regardless of when you lived or came of age or whatever the fuck. There were victims of hate and ignorance being lynched, raped, beaten, and assaulted in all sorts of ways to include a denial of rights. No one gets to dismiss their pain and suffering by being so dismissive as to say, "it was just the times".

Just because hate and ignorance are considered acceptable or expected by the dominant culture doesn't make it right or good or decent or even "just the way it was".

It's still hate and hate is always wrong.

It's still ignorance and ignorance is always bad.

I'm not shocked. Or surprised.

[leftstreet]

6. +1

[Crunchy Frog]

5. All those nice people that folks here like to refer to as "Antifa"?

[Myrddin]

7. The "Battle of Bamber Bridge" - I didn't know about this historic event

The Twitter link led me to a story I never knew of , until now. All the more fascinating because I grew up in nearby Preston, and my Mum's family came from the Bamber Bridge ('Brig') locality.

The Battle of Bamber Bridge took place in 1943. Black GIs were stationed locally. The US Army tried to impose segregation on the three local pubs in the village.
The villagers responded by posting "Black Troops Only" signs outside the pubs.

Knowing my grandparents' (and that generation of Lancastrian folks') character, I am not at all surprised. The opportunity to deliver a monumental F#*k You! combined with care and compassion would be too good to pass up.

Sadly, there was not a happy outcome.

&t=328s

My pride in being a patriotic Lancastrian took a good kicking due to the stupid vote in 2016, this story has helped to restore some of that pride.

As an aside; the Ye Olde Hob Inn is a pub I've often frequented when I've been in the area, well worth a visit, should you ever find yourself in those parts, too.