Oxford African American Military Veterans Recall War Time Experiences

“It was tough over there in Korea,” says World War ll veteran Willie James Johnson.
Vets like Johnson do not often get asked to tell their stories, but black military personnel played an important role in America’s history. Men like Joseph Hall remembers how difficult it was fighting over in Vietnam.
“Well, things were kind of rough over there because we mostly stayed in small groups and small groups use to catch the devil,” says Hall.
“Especially if you get ambushed or going after an ambush, so I have seen a lot of people get wounded and some didn’t make it you know. It was kind of rough over there fighting in the jungle.”
Roughly, 1.2 million black men enlisted during the second World War. During the 1970’s, almost 300,000 African Americans served in Vietnam.
Veteran Larry Payton’s military service left him with lasting health challenges.
“I am going blind right now due to the Vietnam War, and I have seen numerous doctors, they say there is nothing that they can do for me to get my sight back or even maintain it,” says Payton.
Many African American men who served in U.S. wars lost their lives. According to the International World History Project, during the Vietnam War, blacks suffered 12.5 percent of the deaths during the conflict at a time when the percentage of blacks of military age was 13.5 percent of the total population.
While overseas, the men agree that race was not an issue for them, but for these veterans, the return home meant a return to discrimination.
“Things that sort of hurt me was when we got back to the states we had to part,” says Johnson of his experience finding segregation on the home front.
Reporter Peter Baker, writing in The New Yorker, says many black soldiers had been victimized before, during and after the World War II. Baker reports that black soldiers suffered severe beatings, shootings and in some cases were murdered for wanting to serve their country in the military.
Yet today, about one in five soldiers are black, compared with nearly 27 percent in 1985 and 1995, according to Army figures. Approximately 17 percent of the U.S. population of military enlistment age and education is African American. 

 
As for today’s African American troops, veterans like Johnson says things have greatly improved.
“It’s gotten better, but it’s still not what it’s supposed to be.”
And as for living today in 2017, he says he’s happy with his choices.
“Life is pretty good for me,” says Johnson.
All these veterans now reside at the Mississippi State Veteran’s Home in Oxford, MS. They all endured a great deal, but yet still live to tell their stories of serving in America’s war efforts. On this Memorial Day, they will honor their brothers, black and white, for serving their country.

Contributed by Kyra Henderson: khenders@go.olemiss.edu.