Blood for Dignity: The Story of the First Integrated Combat Unit in the U.S. Army - Hardcover

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Advance Praise for Blood For Dignity:

"It's amazing that no one has told this incredible story until now, but David Colley, using meticulous research and a shrewd gift for oral history, tells it beautifully, poignantly. Blood For Dignity is essential and enthralling reading for anyone interested in American history." --Doug Stanton, New York Times bestselling author of In Harm's Way

"The African-American troops who fought with their white infantry brothers in the Battle of the Rhine and beyond got lost in the pages of history before being rescued by David P. Colley's Blood and Dignity. Employing vivid battlefield descriptions and probing analysis, Colley tells the story of a group of black infantry men who were convinced their contributions to Germany's defeat would never be recognized by their own government and their fellow countrymen."--Lewis H. Carlson, author of Remembered Prisoners of A Forgotten War and We Were Each Other’s Prisoners

"An excellent and important piece of history that is truly well written. From the poignant, opening chapter, the book grabs your heart and imagination." --Dave Grossman Lt. Col. (ret.), author of On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society

"Blood For Dignity captures the reality of close combat in which the names of the dead are unknown and the wounded wait for the medics. It is a chronicle of courage and determination under fire. As the black infantry volunteers of the 5th of K, 394th Regiment, 99th Division moved forward they became bloodied veterans for whom friend and foe alike knew no color." --Lou Reda, executive producer Lou Reda Productions, Inc., Producer of Rommel: The Last Knight and Road to Infamy

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General Eisenhower ordered the integration of U.S. combat divisions in Germany in 1945, providing an opportunity for black soldiers to exhibit bravery and loyalty and solidify the basis for their demands of dignity. Colley interviewed several veterans of K Company, 394th Regiment, the first black soldiers to be integrated with white troops since the American Revolution. The veterans recount memories of an intense combat environment--fighting alongside their white countrymen on battlegrounds and, at the same time, fighting the bias and negative perceptions of those same countrymen toward black soldiers. Their war experience proves to be exemplary, dispelling more than a century of stereotypes of blacks as cowardly and disloyal. However, along with the glory of their combat experience, the veterans recalled racial prejudice and hatred, starting with basic training in the Deep South. But the frontline held the greatest appeal as an arena for proving their bravery, loyalty, and expectations to be treated as equals in all aspects of American life. Vernon Ford
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

This compact and clearly written book adds detail to the history of African-American soldiers in World War II. Its subject is the African-American platoons added to white rifle companies near the end of the war in Europe because of a desperate shortage of infantry replacements. The focus is the Fifth Platoon, K Company, 394th Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division, in action in March and April of 1945, against a German army down but far from out. Ably commanded by white Lt. Richard Ralston, some of the platoon's men had mostly street smarts (such as Waymon Ransom) and others had college degrees (such as Bruce Wright). All felt they had something to prove and by and large come away satisfied. Colley (The Road to Victory: The Untold Story of Wold War II's Red Ball Express) presents the men directly, flaws and all. The black platoons have been frequently mentioned but not covered in such detail before, and the author has added capsule accounts of the African-American experience in the military before World War II and the assaults on their dignity in that war before they were allowed to shed blood. Based on comprehensive interviews and use of written sources, the book will be steadily engaging for anyone interested in WWII and integration history.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.