- 1 Min Gen Council, 2 1 Jun 43, 2 Aug 43; Ltr, Gen Marshall to CG's, 13 Jul 43, WD 291.2 (13 Jul 43); Proceedings ASF Conf of CG's Sv Comds, 23 Jul 43, Chicago, pp.
17-18, 103; Hq ASF, Classified Checklist of Current Problems, SPTR 291.2 (28 Jan 44).
2 See Ltrs, Petitions, Rpts, and Resolutions in AG 291.21 (4-14-41) (2) and in AG 291.21 (4-26-41)
(10) dated 14 Apr through 3 Jun 41.
3 Rpt of Proceedings of Bd of Offs at Ft. Jackson, S.C., 25 Apr 41, Incl 5 to Incl 5, AG 291.21
(10-2-41) (3).
4 Ltr, James M. Hinton, Secy, The Colored Citizens' Committee, Columbia, S.C., to TIG, 30 Jan 42, AG 291.21
(1-30-42); Rpt, Acts of Mil Police at Ft. Jackson, S.C., in Connection With Negro Civilians of Columbia, AG 291.21 (3-25-41)
(1) .
5 Ltr, Hq MacDill Fld, .Fla., to TAG, 30 Jul 41, and other papers in AG 333.9 MacDill Fld (7-3041) .
6 Papers in AG 333.9 Ft. Bragg (8-7-41) (1) ; Memo, G-3 for DCofS, 19 Sep 41, G-3/46778, AG 322.97 (8-24-41) (1) ; Memo, TIG for COPS, 5 Sep 41, IG 370.093-Mil Police. The post provost marshal at Fort Bragg was replaced after this affair.
7 Maj Bell I. Wiley and Capt Thomas P. Govan, History of the Second Army, AGF Hist Sec Study 16, 1946, pp. 59-62.
8 This paragraph and the two following are based on: Ltr, Inds, and Incls, CG Second Army to TIC, 24 Aug 41, with three investigations
inclosed, Second Army AG 250.1-5 (FE'41) (A) AG 322.97 (8-24-41) (1) ; Ltr, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, Dir of Civ Defense, to SW, 28 Aug 41, inclosing nine letters and affidavits, three clippings, etc., on Gurdon troubles, AG 322.97 and Bulky Package; Ltr and Inds, CG Second Army to TIG, 9 Sep 41, Second Army AG 250.1-5
(FE'41) (B) , AG 322.97 (9-9-41) ; Memo, Civ Aide to SW for USW, 16 Oct 41, and Memo, DCofS for USW, 28 Oct 41. Last two in WD 322.97 (10-17-41) , AG 322.97 (8-24-41).
9 Excerpt, Ltr of a soldier to his family (unnamed), Incl to Ltr, Civ Aide to SW to TAG,
20 Aug 41, AG 291.21 (8-20-41) . See also New York Times and Chicago Tribune for
19-20 Aug 41; Bulky Pkg, AG 322.97 (8-2-41) Cabinet 8175.
10 Memo, SGS for G-3, 6 Oct 41, OCS 20602-193; Memo, Hastic for USW, 16 Oct 41,
WD 322.97 (10-17-41).
11 Memos, DCofS for USW, 15 Oct 41, Hastie for USW, 16 Oct 41, and DCofS for USW, 28 Oct 41, all in AG 322.97
(8-24-41)(1) . The military police officer was relieved as was the battalion commander, but these changes were announced only through special orders.
12 Memo, DCofS for USW, 28 Oct 41; Memo DCofS for USW, 2 Jan 42; Ltr, USW to Francis Biddle, Attorney Gen of the U.S., 8 Jan 42; Ltr, Dept of Justice to Robert P. Patterson, USW, 12 Feb 42. All in AG 322.97
(8-24-41)(1) .
13 Ltr, TIC, Second Army to CG Second Army, Jun 42, Ft. Custer, Mich., AGF
333.1/26 Second Army.
14 Binder AG 291.21 (6-11-41) (1) ; Rad, CG Eighth Corps Area to TAG, 25 Aug 41, AG 3339 Galveston, Tex. (8-21-42) ; Memo, Lt Col J. W. Boyer for OinC Misc Div AGO,
11 Aug 41, AG 291.21 (8-11-41) (4) ; Ltr "From a Negro Soldier" to President,
11 Jul 41, AG 3339 (6-11-41) (1); Ltr, Hq 2d Cav Div to CG 2d Cav Div, 19 Sep 41, Div Files, 3335, AGO Record.
15 Letters and petitions in AG 291.2 and 3339 files for June of 1941 through the following summer.
16 Memo, TIG for Cofs, 5 Sep 4r, AG 320.26 (8-7-41) (3) (1) : Memo, Civ Aide to SW for PMG, 16 Feb 42, PMG 291.2.
17 Incl 8 to Memo, TIG for TAG, 30 Mar 42, IG 333.0-Foster, Thomas D.
18 Memo, TIG for DCofS, 22 Jan 42, and other papers in SPMG 291.2 Gen; Ltr, Hq Cp
Beauregard, La., to CG Fourth Corps Area, 16 Jan 42, and Inds, AG 320.2 (8-7-42) (3) sec. 5 Mil Police Corps; Memo, TIG for TAG, 30 Mar 42, IG 333.9; Proceedings before Grand Jury for Eastern District of Arkansas, Western Div,
10 Jun 42, Little Rock, to 13 Jun . . . , AG 291.2 (3-30-42) (1) Bulky; Hist TAAF, 7 Dec 41-31 Dec 42, AAF Hist Gp 289.28 vol. 1, 39-41; Memo, G-2 for G-3, 17 Jun 42, WDGCT 291.21 (6-17-42) ; Memo, Ex0 G-1 Sec Hq AGF for TIG, 4 Sep 42, AGF 291.2/15; New York Times, April, 3 and 4, 1942.
19 Rpt of Proceedings of Bd of Offs at Ft. Jackson, S.C., 25 Apr 41, AG 291.21 (10-2-41) (3).
20 Memo, G-3 for COPS, 7 Aug 41, G-3/43414; 1st Ind, TPMG, 16 Sep 41, on Memo, G-3 for G-1, 11 Sep 41, AG 320.2 (8-7-41) (3) sec. 1; Memo TIC, for COf.S, 5 Sep 41, IG 370.093-Mil Police; Memo, G-3 for CofS, 27 Oct 41, AG 320.2 (8-7-41) (3) sec. 1; Memo, PMG for G-3, 11 Oct 41, G-3/44246; Memo, TPMG for TAG, 11 Oct 41, AG 320.2 (1011-41) (1) ; WD Cir 224, Sec III, Establishment of Mil Police Detachments (Cld), 22 Oct 41.
21 Inds 5 to 14, 22 Sep 41 to 7 Nov 41, to Ltr, Hq MacDill Fld, Fla., to TAG, 30 Jul 41, AG 333.9 MacDill Fld (7-30-41) (1) .
22 Memo, OPMG for TAG, 25 Feb 42, and other papers in AG 322.999 MP Corps (2-16-42) .
23 Memo and five Incls, TPMG for Chief Admin Svs SOS, 26 Mar 42, SPPMG 220.31.
24 3d Ind, Hq Ft. Clark, Tex., to CG 2d Cav Div, Ft. Clark,11 Sep 43; 4th Ind, Hq 2d Cav Div to CO Ft. Clark, 13 Sep
43, 2d Cav Div 333, filed with 9th Armd Div, AGO Records.
25 Interoffice Memo, OPMG, 23 Jun 44, SPMG 291.2 Gen; Memo, G-1 for CG SOS, 3 Feb 44. WDGAP 291.2.
26 Testimony of Witnesses, Exhibit D of Investigation . . . 828th TD Bn, Cp Hood, Tex., 24-27 Aug 42, p. 91, IG 3339-828th TD Bn 8/13/42.
27 Ibid., p. 92.
28 Memo, Civ Aide for SW for Chief Morale Br, 18 Aug 41, and Ltr, Chief of Morale Br for Civ Aide for SW, 21 Aug 41, both in MB 3538 Ft. Bragg (8-19-41).
29 Memo, Civ Aide for SW for Chief Morale Br, 13 Jun 41, and Memo, Chief of Morale Br for
Hastie, 20 Aug 41, both in MB 353.8.
30 Ltr, Chief Sp Sv Br to Dr. Young, 15 Jan 42, SSB 291.21 (9-27-41)(0) .
31 Memo, Chief Planning Div SSB for Chief SSB, 26 Feb 42, SPSP 291.21 (10-31-42).
32 Ltr, Ralph Barton Perry to Gen Osborn, 24 Nov 4r and Lit, Osborn to Perry,
9 Dec 41, MB 3538 Cambridge, Mass. (11-24-41) ; Ltr, Walter White, Secy NAACP, to Osborn,
1 Apr 42; Ltr, Osborn to White, 3 Apr 42, and Ltr, White to Osborn, 6 Apr 42, last three in SSB 291.21 (9-2741)
33 The first orientation program on the nature and progress of the war, mainly handled through materials prepared in the Bureau of Public
Relations and through lectures by professional speakers, had already begun at this time. See Capt Ulysses Lee, History of Military Training, ASF, Army Orientation, (Sep 45) , MS in OCMH.
34 Memo, Civ Aide to SW for Howard C. Petersen, Sp Asst to USW, 18 May 42, SSB 291.21 (927-41) (1) . At this time, special service officers were charged with both educational and
recreational activities on posts and in units.
35 Memo, Osborn for Petcrsen, 30 May 42, SPSP 291.21 (5-21-42).
36 Memo, USW for Osborn, 22 Jun 42, SPSP 291.21 (6-25-42).
37 Memo, Osborn for USW, 25 Jun 42, SPSP 291.21 (6-25-42) .
38 Ltr, Maj Frank Capra to Lillian Hellman, 18 Apr 42, SS 413.56 (4-6-42) sec. IIA. In May 1942, a team, consisting of two Negroes, Maj Alston W. Burleigh formerly with the 366th Infantry and Carlton Moss, and Marc Connelly, white author of Green Pastures, began a tour of posts and camps to survey motion picture possibilities. Schedules and letters in SPSP 413.56 May-Jun 42.
39 Memo, G-2 for G-3, 17 Jun 42, WDGCT 291.21 (6-17-42).
40 Memo for Rec on G-3 DF to CG's Major Commands, 2 Jul 42, WDGCT 291.21
(6-17-42) . Actually, not all of the G-2 recommendations were covered by current policy, i.e., indoctrination of trainees in racial tolerance with insistence upon respect for the uniform irrespective of the race of the wearer; nor were all formally adopted policies being carried out, i.e., stationing of Negro troops in areas similar to their home environment.
41 M/S, Hq AGF, Comment 5, CG for CofS, AGF 291.2/14.
42 DF, G-3 to TIG, 18 Aug 42, WDGCT 291.21 (6-17-42) .
43 Memo, TIG for G-3, 11 Sep 42, IG 291.2-MiSC.
44 Ibid.
45 Memo, Civ Aide to SW for USW, 12 Aug 42, USW 291.2 Race, Negro (Judge Hastie's Office). I
-
46 Notes on War Council, 17 Aug 42.
47 Ltr, USW for Dir Civ Def, 24 Sep 41, WD 3339 (9-3-41) MB, based on Memo,
G-1 for TAG, 13 Sep 41, G-1 1/15640-115. See also Ltr, Gen Osborn, Sp Sv Div, to Ralph Barton Perry, American Defense, Harvard Group, 9 Dec 41, MB 3538 Cambridge.
48 Editorial, Common Sense, X1 (February 1942), 57.
49 "The Racial Front," The Commonweal, XXXV (January 23, 1942), 332-33.
50 Editorial, " `Together' Not `Against'," Richmond News Leader, April 3, 1942.
51 Editorial, "The Fort Dix Straw," New York Amsterdam Star News, March 28, 1942.
52 Excerpts from Survey of Intel Materials, 16 Mar 42, Bureau of Intel OFF, Incl to
Ltr, Archibald MacLeish to SW, 7 Apr 42, AG 291.21 (4-742) (4)
53 Ltr, TAG to Brig Gen Lorenzo D. Gasser, OCD, 4 Sep 41, and Remarks attached to Incl to Memo, G-1 for AGO, 3 Sep 41, AG 291.21.
54 Memo, Samuel A. Stouffer, Research Br, for Gen Osborn, CofSS, 1 Sep 42, SPSP 3538 (8-24-41) (2) sec. 11.
55 Ltrs in AG 291.21 (6-11-41) (1) .
56 Memo, CofS AGF for DCofS, 7 May 42, GNOPN AGF 333-1/19.
57 Lit, Hq AGF to CG Third Army, 9 Jun 42, AGF 320.2/8 Inf; Lit, TAG to
CG's, 10 Jun 42,
AG 320.2 (6-8-42) MR-M-GN.
58 Memo, G-3 for CG AGF, 16 Apr 43, WDGCT 291.21 (4-8-43)
59 Memo, TIG for DCofS, 8 Jun 43, and Ltr, OTIG to TIG, 21 Sep 43, both in AGF 291.2/25.
60 Ltr, TIG for DCofS, 8 Jun 43, AG 291.2/25.
61 Memo, OCofS for CG AGF, 9 Jun 43, and 1st Ind, AGF to Third Army, 14 Jun 43, AGF 291.2/25.
62 Aside from small headquarters detachments, other Negro troops on the post included two quartermaster truck regiments, one service
battalion, one medical ambulance battalion, and a quartermaster laundry company, totaling about 6,500 troops.
63 Ltr, OTIG for TIG, 21 Sep 43, AGF 291-2/25.
64 Ibid.
65 M/S, Hq AGF, Ground G-3 to Ground CofS, 1 Oct 43, AGF 291.21/25.
66 Memo, Lt Col J. W. Boyer for OinC Misc Div AGO, 11 Aug 41, AG 291.21
(8-11-41) (4).
67 Ltr, Air Provost Marshal, Hunter Fld, Ga., to DGofS for Sv Comds ASF, 7 Jun 43, AAF 726.1, Binder 3.
68 These were the tooth, 207th, 208th, 458th, 477th. 538th, 484th, 492d, 493d,
503d, 741st. 790th, 818th, and 846th AAA Battalions.
69 Memo, TIG for CofS, 4 Jun 43, AGF 291.2/22.
70 Ibid
71 Ltr, Brig Gen Samuel L. McCrosky, President of Bd, to CG AAATC, Cp Stewart, AGF 322.999/6.
72 M/S, AGF G-1 to AGF G-3, G-2, CofS, and 3d Ind, Hq AGF to CG AAATC Cp Stewart, 8 Jul 43, both in AGF 322.999/6.
73 Ltr, AAATC Ft. Bliss, Texas, to CG AAATC, 2 Jun 43, AGF 250; Ltr, Hq AGF to CG AAC, 24 Jul 43, AGF 322.999/370.
74 1st and subsequent Inds, TAG to CG Third AF, 17 May 43, AG 291.2 (5-13-43)
75 Memo for TIG, 16 Jul 43, IG 3121-Misc. The situation at Camp Claiborne continued to
deteriorate until riots, including attacks on unit officers barricaded in orderly rooms, occurred in August and September 1944, as a result of which a
number of soldiers were tried and convicted of mutiny and of inciting to riot.
76 Memo, TIG for CG ASF, 26 Jul 43, 333.1Shenango Pers Repl Depot (5) ; Ltr, ASW McCloy to Walter White, Secy NAACP, 4 Sep 43, WD 291.2 (14 Jul 43) OB-C.
77 Ltr, Betty Bailey, Louisville, 7 Jun 43, and investigation, especially 3d Ind, 8 Jul 43, Hq Ft Knox, Ky., to CG Fifth Sv Comd, Fifth Sv Comd
291.2, AGO Records.
78 Ltr, Office of Provost Marshal Tampa Area to Provost Marshal Third AF, Tampa, 20 Feb 44,
AAF 250.1 Misc.
79 Rpt, Hq Cp Rucker to CO Gp Rucker, 28 Jan 44, Gp Rucker 333.1 Gen 17, AGO Records. The
beer party was held to have been merely incidental to the bitter feeling existing between the units.
80 Memo, Dir Sec and Int Div Second Sv Comd for CofS Second Sv Comd, 13 Jan 45, Second Sv Comd 291.2, AGO Records.
81 Decimal files, 827th TD Bn, AGO Records.
82 The list included: attempted and completed rapes of colored Wacs and wives of colored and white soldiers; robberies of service clubs, exchanges, and taxi drivers; attacks on guards; arrests and complaints of prowlers in civilian and WAC areas; and disregard of camp rules (nonracial) about the use of recreation areas, resulting in disorder and friction. Memo and Incl, CG ASF for G-3, 22 Aug 44, Cp Breckinridge, SPINT 291.2; Memo, G-3 for CG AGF, 22 Aug 44, WDGCT 291.21 (22 Aug 44) ; Ltr and Incls, Col Russ Throckmorton, CO Cp Breckinridge, to Col Frederick L. Hayden, CofS Fifth Sv Comd, 20 Sep 44, Fifth Sv Comd 291.2, AGO Records.
83 Monthly Summary of Events and Trends in Race Relations, I (August 1943) , 8; Joseph E. Weckler and Theo E. Hall, The Police and
Minority Groups (Chicago: International City Managers' Association, 1944) , pp. 1-5.
84 William Cecil Headrick, "Race Riots-Segregated Slums," Current History, V (September 1943), 30-34; T. T. Brumbaugh, "The Fault Dear Brutus," The Christian Century, LXI (May 24, 1944), 634-44; S. Edward Young, "Black Restlesness," The Christian Century, LXI (November 1, 1944) , 1252-53.
85 Min of Gen Council, 21 Jun 43, 2 Aug 43.
86 Oscoda was a subbase of Selfridge Field, at which most of these troops were stationed when, a few weeks before, on 5 May, the post commander, having ordered his car to base headquarters in the early morning hours, shot the Negro driver
assigned to it on sight and without provocation. The protest itself was not unprecedented. In the Springfield Riots of
1908, units of the 8th Illinois, prepared to answer the governor's call for riot duty, protested that the use of white National Guardsmen only worked a specific hardship on the Negro citizens of Springfield which could have been avoided by the use of the Negro units as well. History of the First Air Force Army Air Base at Selfridge Field, Mich.,
1 January-31 December 1943, pp. 141, 152, MS in AAF Hist Gp 288.52-31; Pittsburgh Courier, July 31, 1943.
87 Rpt, L&L Div, Gen Council Meeting, 12 Jul 43.
88 Address, Col Pierre V. Kieffer, IGD, Annual Inspection of Service Commands, Proceedings, ASF Conference of Commanding Generals, Service
Commands, July 22, 1943 to July 24, 1943, Chicago, Illinois, pp. 17-18.
89 Classified Checklist of Current Problems, SPTR 291.2 (28 Jan 44) .
90 Memo, OTIG for ASW, 24 Jul 43, ASW 291.2 :VT.
91 See above, ch. VI.