We Were There: Voices of African American Veterans, from World War II to the War in Iraq

I can add little to what has already been said of this wonderful book. The title, alone, speaks loudly to all America -- WE WERE THERE. It brings tears to my eyes to think that Americans, Black, Hispanic, Asian, whatever, who were willing to place themselves in harm's way for this country should have to say "Please. Show our faces. Let people know, we too, were there." Writers, historians, journalists, don't have to say that Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, were brave, or heroes -- though we can be sure that many of them were -- but they do have a responsibility to show America that they were there; that they contributed, and that some of them paid the ultimate price for their willingness to participate. As a writer and a speaker I have often been asked "Why do African Americans have to have a whole month (Black History Month) when others have, at most, a day?" The answer, though unsaid, is within the title and the voices in this wonderful little book: If American history were told the way it should have been told there would be no need for Black history. This book is a plea for us to finally tell AMERICAN history. What is ironic, and appropriate, about this book is that it is not the writer, Yvonne Latty, who speaks; who tells us what SHE thinks about America's grave injustice to some of her people, it is the thoughts, the feelings, and the experiences of the ordinary men and women WHO WERE THERE. This book should be required reading for any one who aspires to write about America.

From the first days of the United States, blacks have served with distinction in the military. The term "Buffalo Soldiers" was coined by the native Americans, when seeing the black soldiers, they thought that they looked like the Buffalo. Blacks fought in all wars, but it was not until recently that they were respected for their actions. The lowest point was probably the Spanish-American War, a large percentage of the officers in the American Army were ex-Confederate officers. With segregation and racial bigotry firmly re-entrenched in America, even though they fought well, the black soldiers were very poorly treated. This book is the result of a series of interviews with black veterans from World War II up through the current war in Iraq. The early stories are difficult to read, while they fiercely defended their country with honor, the black World War II veterans came back to a nation that refused to give them even minimal rights. Fortunately, as the stories move through the subsequent wars, there is a change. To his eternal credit, Harry Truman ordered the military de-segregated. While some officers resisted, the military was ahead of nearly all the rest of the country in allowing blacks to compete in a meritocracy. The only other organization that may have been ahead of the military was professional sports. By the end of the story, blacks are succeeding and there are interviews with generals and admirals. While the first part was difficult to read, when no black was allowed to rise above a menial level and no black was ever in command of whites, by the end it had changed. The personal pride that these people showed in their accomplishments is uplifting and all Americans owe these pioneers a deep debt of gratitude for helping save the country and make it better.

"We Were There: Voices of African American Veterans, from World War II to the War in Iraq" is a collaboration between author Yvonne Latty, photographer Ron Tarver, and the twenty-eight featured veterans. For the most part, each veteran's first-person account is accompanied by a picture of him/her in uniform during his/her time in service, as well as by a recent portrait by Tarver. The personal testimonies are grouped into five sections: World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf War, and the War on Terror. Latty has brought together a wonderfully rich and diverse collection of voices. The Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps are all represented, as are both the enlisted and officer ranks. I was especially happy to see six women veterans (representing service in WW2, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf War) among the group. The veterans in the book also represent a wide range of different military occupations: medic, pilot, tank crew member, postal clerk, Navy steward, infantryman, flight nurse, surgical nurse, cook, and more. The POW experience in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam is also given voice. Among the veterans are two who achieved general officer rank in the Army and one who became a Navy Vice Admiral. In the overall sweep of these voices the reader can chart the U.S. armed services' progress in desegregation and equal opportunity. The group recalls not only incidents of racism and discrimination, but also proud milestones on this long journey. Many of the veterans speak frankly of the horrors of war, including the carnage of Iwo Jima, the terror of a Gulf War scud attack, and the shock of the 9/11 attacks. Military nurses recall the horrific wounds suffered by some of their patients. There are some profoundly moving passages, such as one WW2 veteran's account of his friendship with a Holocaust survivor, or a Vietnam War POW's description of his reunion with his family. Also noteworthy are a WW2 POW's memory of his shocking argument with an arrogant German SS officer, and an Air Force officer's description of perilous air missions over wartime Afghanistan. These compelling stories are superbly complemented by Tarver's photographs. He captures many different moods in these boldly individualized portraits: dramatic, heartwarming, haunting, and even whimsical. His work is truly striking. Latty and Tarver have assembled a wonderful tribute to the men and women who fought for their country while at the same time breaking down barriers of unjust discrimination. "We Were There" is a superb contribution to both military history and African American studies.

Through the reflections of the 28 Veterans in WE WERE THERE, we see how racism affected Americans who willingly served their country which only gave lip service to the words: "freedom and justice for all". These men & women signed up during times of war often eagerly, sometimes as the only way to get out of trouble. Even as they served in a community that belittled them, they were willing to give their all. It's as if going to war against our enemies wasn't enough, to be an African American, you had to survive, as these Veterans' stories ably show, soul-crushing racism within the military. Executive Order 9981 signed in 1948 was supposed to have changed all of that. As these reminiscents show, it took decades to defeat racism within the armed services so they could become truly integrated. RebeccasReads highly recommends WE WERE THERE as a unique & exceptional glimpse into what it was like to be an African American in the armed forces since World War II. Could have had 50 voices & not been repetitive. Could not put it down!

WE WERE THERE is a collection of photographs, brief biographies, and first hand accounts from African American men and women who have served in the armed forces during times of war. These first hand accounts include stories from veterans that served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, The Persian Gulf War and the ongoing War on Terror. The author includes veterans from many different parts of the United States and includes most branches of the military. It would be a disservice to select a few of the people included in this collection, as each individual made an important contribution to our national history and security and each of their stories touched me in a different way. WE WERE THERE is a book that should be a part of every library, particularly those in African American homes. While the book is targeted to adults, the language and format of the book lends itself to be easily used with children and even in classroom settings. These veterans, ordinary people like you and me, have had extraordinary experiences defending the United States and the ideal it represents in spite of the obstacles such as racism, sexism and dangerous warfare, that they encountered. I particularly enjoyed the fact, that the book uses the words of the men and women who are relating the experiences, allowing the individuals to have their own voice. And the voices shared in this collection will educate as well as inspire. Reviewed by Stacey Seay of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers