Immortal Valor: The Black Medal of Honor Recipients of World War II

Seven African-American soldiers were denied the Medal of Honor for over 50 years due to their race. Recent historical investigations have revealed their extraordinary acts of bravery, and in 1997, President Clinton awarded them the medal posthumously.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 08 June 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

The remarkable story of seven African-American soldiers who were denied the Medal of Honor for over 50 years due to their race and their extraordinary acts of bravery is a testament to the enduring legacy of racism and discrimination in the United States military. In 1945, when Congress began reviewing the record of the most conspicuous acts of courage by American soldiers during World War II, they recommended awarding the Medal of Honor to 432 recipients. Despite the fact that more than one million African-Americans served, not a single black soldier received the Medal of Honor. The omission remained on the record for over four decades.

However, recent historical investigations have brought to light some of the extraordinary acts of valor performed by black soldiers during the war. Men like Vernon Baker, who single-handedly eliminated three enemy machine guns, an observation post, and a German dugout, and Sergeant Reuben Rivers, who spearheaded his tank units advance against fierce German resistance for three days despite being grievously wounded. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Charles Thomas led his platoon to capture a strategically vital village on the Siegfried Line in 1944 despite losing half his men and suffering a number of wounds himself.

Ultimately, in 1993, a US Army commission determined that seven men, including Baker, Rivers, and Thomas, had been denied the Armys highest award simply due to racial discrimination. In 1997, more than 50 years after the war, President Clinton finally awarded the Medal of Honor to these seven heroes, sadly all but one of them posthumously.

These are their stories, a testament to the bravery and resilience of African-American soldiers who faced discrimination and adversity in the face of war. Their contributions to the Allied victory in World War II should never be forgotten, and their stories serve as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for racial equality and justice in the United States.

Weight: 408g
Dimension: 153 x 234 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781472852847