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History of integration in the US Armed Services

Lawrence J. Korb writes about the history of integration in the U.S. military.

The members of Congress, and the media who are criticizing General Mark Milley for his positions on antiracism and anti-white extremism in the military and why he thinks it is important for military people to learn about critical race theory, display an appalling ignorance about how the US military itself has handled racial (and other social issues) over the course of its history.

Despite the fact that nearly 2 million African Americans served with distinction in World Wars I and II, (for example, the Tuskegee Airmen and Black soldiers in the Battle of the Bulge) the U.S. military did not even really start integrating the forces until July, 1948, when President Harry Truman issued an executive order ending segregation in our armed forces.

The above excerpt was originally published in Military Times. Click here to view the full article.

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Authors

Lawrence J. Korb

Senior Fellow