[merrylander]

Originally Posted by Boreas

In WW1 the French took our black troops, notably the 369th Regiment of the New York National Guard, away from duty as stevedores or other types of manual labor and put them in the line. Even though these soldiers had been trained for combat, the higher ups in the US Army felt they couldn't be trusted in the line. The French even had to give these American soldiers French rifles and French helmets.

At the end of the war the French awarded the French awarded the entire regiment the Croix de Guerre for their service to France. When it was time to return they had a tough time finding an American ship that would carry them and, when they got here, they weren't allowed to march in the official 1919 Victory Parade.

Sometime between the wars, the black American dancer, Josephine Baker moved to France and established her life and career there. At the outbreak of WW2 she was recruited by French intelligence to spy on the Germans. When France fell, she began working for the Free French. After the war she was awarded the Croix de Guerre, the Rosette de la Resistance (Resistance Medal) and the Legion d'Honneur.

Many American Jazz musicians, like Lester Young and Dexter Gordon, moved to France after WW2 to escape Jim Crow and white racism. Some returned but many stayed.

John

PBS had a very complete documentary series on theat rigimennt and other blacks who fought in WW II. I recall one sailor who was assigned as a cook's helper. When the gunner handling one of the AA guns was killed this sailor took over and got himself a Japanese aircraft.