Fighting for America

Chapter One

Chapter 1

Two Americas?

[1776 to 1941]

I once had a conversation with historian Stephen Ambrose, who was
gracious enough to listen quietly as I made a complaint about the movie
Saving Private Ryan. Ambrose had served as consultant on the movie, and
so I asked him why black soldiers had been left out of the D-Day
invasion. He told me he had provided the filmmakers with information
about several hundred blacks at Utah and Omaha Beach on D-Day, but that the story was taken in a “different direction.” Among the ablest historians of World War II, Ambrose believed that racism was at the heart of Nazi philosophy, and that its arteries extended to many nations, including our own. He assured me that military historians were taking a fresh look at the subject and that Americans would come to learn and appreciate more about the contributions of African-American soldiers throughout American history.

Black Soldiers and American Freedom

On the night of March 5, 1770, Crispus Attucks, a free black
dockworker, marched together with fifty laborers and sailors into a
dangerous confrontation with Britis ... read full excerpt from Fighting for America: Black Soldiers-the Unsung Heroes of World War II ebook