African-Americans In WWII: A Legacy of Patriotism and Valor

Any video which helps set the record straight, tells a long overdue story, and, ultimately, helps to heal a country is well worth owning. This particular title joins a growing list of programs that highlight the contributions of African Americans in the military history of our country. Beyond that it also serves as an eye-opener to both white Americans who know little about the subject and to black Americans who enjoy freedoms in the present because of heroism in the past. The first real steps towards racial equality in this country were taken during WWII; military personnel were not about to return home and face an enemy that was, in some ways, not markedly different from what they had seen in the Pacific or in Europe. Outfits such as the Tuskegee Airmen, the nurse corps, the fabled Red Ball Express, the 92nd Infantry Division, and the 761st Tank Battalion are featured and veterans of those units here give first hand accounts of what it was like to work twice as hard as their white counterparts in an attempt to overcome doubts about the military value of black Americans. Historical footage of the specific units in action (unlike many other war films that use stock photography) helps to bring home the message that our nation owes African-American military personnel a long overdue debt of gratitude. Recommended. (J. Carlson)