Title
The Memory of the Great War in the African American Community
Files
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Description
One day a colonel met a colored captain whom he thought he had seen be- fore. “Haven’t I seen you somewhere?” he asked. “Yes, sir,” replied the man, “I was with you on the [Mexican] border [in 1916]; Captain French is my name, sir.” “Oh, I do remember,” said the colonel, “you are Sergeant French.” “No, sir, I am Captain French.” “Well,” said the colonel as he walked away, “if I forget and call you Sergeant, don’t mind.” This encounter between two officers in France during the First World War encapsulated the essence of black troops’ war experience: trying to serve with honor and distinction while encountering a steady torrent of racial prejudice.
ISBN
978-0-87338-940-2
Publication Date
2008
Publisher
Kent State University Press
City
Kent, OH
Keywords
World War I, Race, Segregation, Race Relations, Black Military Troops
Disciplines
African American Studies | American Studies | Military and Veterans Studies | United States History
Recommended Citation
Keene, Jennifer. "The Memory of the Great War in the African American Community." In Unknown Soldiers: The American Expeditionary Forces in Memory and Remembrance, edited by Mark A. Snell, 207-240. Kent, OH: Kent State UP, 2008.
Copyright
Kent State University Press
Comments
In Mark A. Snell (Ed.), Unknown Soldiers: The American Expeditionary Forces in Memory and Remembrance. Dr. Keene's chapter begins on page 207.