Henry Adams, Jr. letter to father, February 5, 1952   Save
Henry and Willa Adams Papers
Description: This letter was written by Henry Adams Jr. to his father, Henry Adams, expressing his feelings and experiences during his time in the army. Junior, as he was called in the family, had been posted to Alaska after his basic Army training, and assigned to an otherwise all-white company. In this three-page letter written on decorative notepaper, Junior writes about his army experiences, and says that he feels like Jackie Robinson, a test case for integrated units in the military. The United States Army was not integrated during World War II; African Americans and whites served in separate units. Harry Truman issued an executive order intended to end segregation in the Army in January of 1948, and letters such as this indicate that the executive order took some time to become fully effective. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: MSS1297_B01F14_19520205_01
Subjects: African American Ohioans; Soldiers--Correspondence; Military life; Military service; Segregation--Laws and legislation;
Places: Alaska