Black Faces of War: A Legacy of Honor from the American Revolution to Today - Hardcover

From among the many African-American heroes who served the United States in times of war, Black Faces of War profiles numerous prominent military figures, including the following:

 Crispus Attucks, the first man to die in the American Revolution;Harriet Tubman, who bravely shepherded slaves to freedom and served the Union during the Civil War;Lt. James Reese Europe, who introduced jazz music to Europe during World War I;Capt. Luther H. Smith and other celebrated Tuskegee Airmen of World War II;Lt. Charity Adams,the first African-American female officer in the Woman’s Army Auxiliary Corps; andGen. Colin Powell,who served with distinction in Vietnam, became the first African-American Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Gulf War, and retired a four-star general before becoming the first African-American Secretary of State. With a foreword by Lt. Gen. Julius W. Becton Jr., USA (Ret.), Black Faces of War also features the Medal of Honor winners and such celebrated units as the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, which courageously assaulted the Confederate stronghold of Fort Wagner; the 10th Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers who protected the western frontier; the 92nd Division in World War I France; the legendary Tuskegee Airmen, 758th Tankers, and black women of the Women’s Army Corps of World War II; the integrated units that fought in the latter half of the twentieth century; and the brave men and women who serve with honor and distinction on today’s battlefields. Robert V. Morris began writing for the Iowa Bystander at an early age. Founded in 1894, the Iowa Bystander is the oldest black-oriented weekly west of the Mississippi River. Morris graduated from the University of Iowa in 1982 and taught journalism at Iowa State University in 1994.The grandson and son of two decorated army officers, Morris founded the Fort Des Moines Memorial Park in 1997. The park honors the U.S. Army’s first officer candidate class for African American men in 1917, and the establishment of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) in 1942. In 2006, Morris created the HERO (Historic Educational Recognition Opportunity) military- and public-service youth program that is still being presented nationwide.

 

“Remember these men and women. . . . And remember, they were all Americans.”—Lt. Gen. Julius W. Becton Jr., USA (Ret.), from the foreword Long before Colin Powell became the first African-American four-star general in the U.S. Army, before President Truman wiped out official racial segregation in the armed forces with Executive Order 9981, before the Tuskegee Airmen earned their fame during World War II, and even before the courageous 54th Massachusetts Infantry fought valiantly in the Civil War, there were black men and women who served the United States in times of war. In Black Faces of War, more than 250 revealing archival images help tell the story through the powerful expressions on the subjects’ faces. Author Robert V. Morris brings his own unique viewpoint, coming from a family steeped in military tradition. He includes his own proud lineage as part of the African-American experience of war, offering a fresh perspective on the men and women who served their country with pride during both times of bondage and times of freedom. Black Faces of War recognizes and celebrates their service.