Racial Integration of Combat Units
1948
The Korean war was one of the first American wars in which military units were not segregated according to race. In 1948, President Harry S. Truman's Executive Order 9981 ordered the integration of the armed forces shortly after World War II, this was because southern representatives would have stopped it from passing in congress. For instance, in May 1948, Richard B. Russell, a Democratic Senator from Georgia, attached an amendment to the Selective Services bill then being debated in Congress. The Russell amendment would have granted draftees and new inductees an opportunity to choose whether or not they wanted to serve in segregated military units. Russell's amendment was defeated in committee. Truman signed Executive Order 9981 on July 26, 1948. In June 1950 when the Selective Services Law came up for renewal, Russell tried again to attach his segregation amendment, and again Congress defeated it. At the end of June 1950, the Korean War started. Most black soldiers served in segregated support units in the rear. The remainder served in segregated combat units, mostly the 24th Infantry Regiment. The first months of the Korean War were some of the most disastrous in U.S. military history. The North Korean People's Army nearly drove the American-led United Nations forces off the Korean peninsula. Faced with staggering losses in white units, commanders on the ground began accepting black replacements, thus integrating their units. The practice occurred all over the Korean battle lines and proved that integrated combat units were a viable option. On July 26, 1951, the US Army formally announced its plans to desegregate, exactly three years after Truman issued Executive Order 9981.
The Korean war was one of the first American wars in which military units were not segregated according to race. In 1948, President Harry S. Truman's Executive Order 9981 ordered the integration of the armed forces shortly after World War II, this was because southern representatives would have stopped it from passing in congress. For instance, in May 1948, Richard B. Russell, a Democratic Senator from Georgia, attached an amendment to the Selective Services bill then being debated in Congress. The Russell amendment would have granted draftees and new inductees an opportunity to choose whether or not they wanted to serve in segregated military units. Russell's amendment was defeated in committee. Truman signed Executive Order 9981 on July 26, 1948. In June 1950 when the Selective Services Law came up for renewal, Russell tried again to attach his segregation amendment, and again Congress defeated it. At the end of June 1950, the Korean War started. Most black soldiers served in segregated support units in the rear. The remainder served in segregated combat units, mostly the 24th Infantry Regiment. The first months of the Korean War were some of the most disastrous in U.S. military history. The North Korean People's Army nearly drove the American-led United Nations forces off the Korean peninsula. Faced with staggering losses in white units, commanders on the ground began accepting black replacements, thus integrating their units. The practice occurred all over the Korean battle lines and proved that integrated combat units were a viable option. On July 26, 1951, the US Army formally announced its plans to desegregate, exactly three years after Truman issued Executive Order 9981.