[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 28 (Tuesday, March 2, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E278-E279]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING THE DIFFICULT CHALLENGES AND HEROISM OF BLACK VETERANS

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 24, 2010

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the challenges and 
difficulties that our Black veterans encounter as they embark on 
reintegrating to civilian life. I would also like to commend the 
Honorable Larry Kissell for introducing H. Con. Res. 238, and his 
conviction on recognizing the importance of their military sacrifices 
and patriotism.
  The story of the African American soldier is one of extraordinary 
faith, hope and determination in the face of bitter disappointment over 
denial of their well-earned rights to full citizenship. It is a story 
of inspiration, leadership and a refusal to accept ``no'' for an 
answer. Ultimately, it is a story of their victory over legal 
segregation and discrimination. Their story speaks of their long 
struggle for equality and willingness, in each instance, to forsake 
violence in their struggle for justice.
  Black Americans have fought for their country going back to the 
Revolutionary War when 5,000 Black men risked their lives in the cause 
of independence. Serving in the Continental Army, mostly as infantry 
and artillerymen, they fought in the first battles at Lexington and 
Concord, and crossed the Delaware with George Washington. 
Overwhelmingly, they resisted the enticements of the British enemy, who 
offered promises of freedom if they would join the Redcoats. Yet, after 
the victory, the first of Black America's military heroes were met, not 
with parades or accolades, but with whips and chains as they as they 
surrendered their weapons for bondage on the plantation.
  African Americans also served in the War of 1812 when the Battalion 
of Free Men of Color helped to save New Orleans in a counterattack 
against the British invaders. The nation reneged on the rhetoric of 
General and later president Andrew Jackson who told the Black fighters, 
``You surprised my hopes. The nation will applaud your valor.''

[[Page E279]]

  Fifty years later, in the Civil War, 200,000 Black men took up arms 
and manned military vessels, one out of ten of the entire Union army. 
Among the most famous was the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, 
which gained its modern-day fame in ``Glory,'' a movie depiction of 
their heroic attack in the first wave of the assault on the beaches of 
Charleston. The regiment was wiped out.
  Black soldiers not only had fought well, they provided the margin for 
victory when finally called upon as reinforcements by President Lincoln 
to bolster the devastated Union army. But even following this victory 
in the Civil War, when they fought not just to preserve the Union but 
to end slavery in the existing states, the nation went back on its 
promises. While Emancipation had ended the evil practice of legal 
slavery and allowed a short breathing space of freedom and political 
participation, less than two decades later Black Americans were bound 
by the new set of legal shackles of Reconstruction and Jim Crow.
  Regardless of these negative circumstances, Black troops broke the 
societal constraints. One such group, the 369th Harlem Hellfighters, 
was the first African American Regiment during World War I. Faced with 
surmounting discrimination and rabid racism in the U.S., they were sent 
to fight with the French troops against the Germans. Not only did these 
Black troops serve the longest stretch in battle without replacement, 
191 days, they did not lose ground or men to enemy capture. This all 
Black unit earned the Croix de Guerre, France's highest military honor, 
yet upon returning to their homes in the U.S., they were vilified and 
discriminated against as they had been before the war.
  Again, during World War II, our Black soldiers proved their loyalty 
and commitment to the United States. The Tuskegee Airmen, America's 
first Black military airmen, helped break through the constraints of a 
segregated military when, inspired by their bravery and achievements, 
President Truman promulgated Executive Order Number 9981 in 1948. Many 
of these Black veterans fueled the Civil Rights movement through their 
courage and strength to change the status quo and fight for equality.
  Black Veterans have time and time again proven their loyalty and 
patriotism to a country they were instrumental in building. They have 
led the charge in breaking the shackles of slavery and discrimination. 
We must stand in support of our brave men and women in the Armed Forces 
as they return in increasing numbers to find that their employment 
prospects are limited. Others are suffering the detrimental effect of 
multiple deployments and PTSD.
  It is our duty as a nation to assist those who have so valiantly 
fought for our freedoms by providing the tools necessary for them to 
fairly compete in the job market whether it is psychological counseling 
for trauma experienced while in combat or job training to bolster the 
unique skill sets they have acquired during their time in the service.

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