Journalism School to tell plight of World War II African American Veterans

Newswise — West Virginia's African American World War II veterans faced enemies on two fronts: on the battlefields of Europe and Asia and at home.

The West Virginia's African American History Project will tell the stories of the state's black World War II veterans and their struggles with a segregated military and a country that did not value their contributions to the war effort.

West Virginia University P.I. Reed School of Journalism Assistant Professor Joel Beeson and students have recorded nearly 30 histories of the state's African American veterans. The interviews will become a part of a multimedia documentary based on first-hand accounts, memories and personal perspectives that shaped their experiences. The project will include personal documents, photographs, archival film footage, text and music. A West Virginia Humanities Council grant funded the first phase of the project.

This project is focusing on the segregated military during World War II and how these men had to fight two enemies, racism at home and Japanese and Germans overseas, Beeson said.

Every day 1,500 United States veterans die before their histories can be recorded. Nowhere can the loss be felt more than in West Virginia, where men and women have fought and died in U.S. wars at a higher rate than most other states.

West Virginians sacrificed much in 20th century wars and conflicts, and many of their stories have never been told. The historical record is especially silent about the experiences of black soldiers, who have a long tradition of service to their country. One such veteran is E. Ray Williams, from the southern coalfields of McDowell County. Now in his 80s, Williams fought through the Battle of the Bulge as a forward artillery observer. Despite a college degree, fluency in German and French and the ability to quote Coleridge, he served as an enlisted soldier under the authority of white officers. When he returned to the states, Williams recalled not being able to eat with a fellow soldier who was white in a restaurant.

The African American Veteran's Project is an extension of the school's ongoing effort to document the histories of West Virginia war veterans. Under Beeson's direction, journalism students have collected more than 100 oral histories and spearheaded a statewide effort to document these stories for the Library of Congress Veterans Oral History Project. The School of Journalism's efforts led the Library of Congress to call it one of its strongest partners, and more than 250 West Virginia veterans' histories have been added to the library's roles.

The multimedia documentary will be distributed to West Virginia VHP partners, local libraries and schools. Portions of the documentary will be made available as streaming video on the West Virginia Veterans History Project website http://veteranshistory.wvu.edu/