Monday, February 14, 2011

"The Forgotten War" or the "The Forgotten Victory."


An artist's conception of Crispus Attucks
(1723–1770), first "martyr" of the American Revolution.

The military history of African Americans spans from the arrival of the first black slaves during the colonial history of the United States to the present day. There has been no war fought by or within the United States in which African Americans did not participate, including the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Civil War, theSpanish American War, the World Wars, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and the current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as other minor conflicts. According to wikipedia details Jesse L. Brown became the U.S. Navy's first black aviator in October 1948. He was killed when his plane was shot down during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. He was unable to eject from his crippled F4U Corsair and crash-landed successfully. His injuries and damage to his aircraft prevented him from leaving the plane. A white squadron mate, Thomas Hudner, crash-landed his F4U Corsair near Brown and attempted to extricate Brown but could not and Brown died of his injuries. Hudner was awarded the Medal of Honor for his efforts. The U.S. Navy honored Jesse Brown by naming an escort ship after him—the U.S.S. Jesse L. BrownNow Services of African Americans in Korean War. were honored.Terri Moon Cronk of the American Forces Press Service reported the event in very interesting way. This very very  interesting report issued on February 12 but it reached us on Monday Feb 14, 2011 at  8:05 PM. in his report Terri Moon Cronk writes says African Americans fought against Communism during the Korean War of 1950-53 to protect the rights of individuals, even as their own civil rights were denied at home, the Defense Department's top equal opportunity official said here yesterday. Speaking during a Pentagon ceremony to honor African American veterans of the Korean War, Ronald M. Joe, acting director of the Office of Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity, said America now remembers the contributions of African American veterans during the war sometimes called "The Forgotten War" or the "The Forgotten Victory." 
"Yours is a distinguished generation in the history of African American military service," Joe said to a group of seven Korean War veterans in attendance. "You belong to a legacy older than the Declaration of Independence, one that includes the legendary service of the Massachusetts 54th in our Civil War, the Buffalo Soldiers in the West, the 92nd Division and the Tuskegee Airman of World War II."
For too long, he said, the service of African Americans during the Korean War was forgotten, "but it should be clear to all of you that you are forgotten no more."
Joe said the armed forces has played a pivotal role in the nation's pursuit of equity for all Americans, following  President Harry S. Truman's 1948 Executive Order 9981, which called for the end of segregation in the military.
The Korean War "interrupted" work to desegregate all-black units, so many of those units went into the conflict.
It was when fighting intensified in Korea that the armed forces realized they had "a manpower problem," Joe said. Increasingly, large numbers of black American draftees and volunteers were in the training pipeline, but no more room existed in the segregated units.
Joe said Army studies showed "integration was a more efficient policy than segregation." The result, he said, was that "Black Americans were individually assigned to units on an as-needed basis, and the Army began working toward true integration."
The last two years of the Korean War, after all-black units were disbanded and ended segregation in the U.S. military, African Americans had served in command positions, in elite units such as combat aviation, and served in a variety of technical specialties, Joe said.
The military began a social movement, he said, that served as a model or the nation and as a pattern for other military organizations. The armed force has made impressive progress toward equality, but work is yet to be completed, because women and minorities are still under-represented, Joe added.
A number of other speakers made brief remarks at the ceremony, including members of a panel of Korean War veterans; South Korean Defense Attaché Brig. Gen. General Lee, Seo Young; and Frank Martin, producer of "For the Love of Liberty: The story of America's Black Patriots." The audience watched a 15-minute segment of Martin's four-hour documentary.
Today's Black History Month observance stems from the Department of Defense 60th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemorative Committee, created by Congress to honor the service and sacrifice of Korean War veterans, their families and those who lost loved ones in the conflict.

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During M249 light machine gun drills

 U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Derek R. Connelly, left, assigned to the Theater Security Cooperation Task Force, observes Colombian naval infantryman Victor Velasquez during M249 light machine gun drills at the Colombian military’s Marine Infantry Training Base in Covenas, Colombia, Feb. 1, 2011. The drills were part of a subject matter expert exchange supporting Amphibious Southern Partnership Station (A-SPS) 2011. A-SPS is an annual deployment of U.S. ships to the U.S. Southern Command's area of responsibility in the Caribbean and Latin America. The exercise involves information sharing with navies, coast guards and civilian services throughout the region. (DoD photo by Cpl. Brittany J. Kohler, U.S. Marine Corps/Released)

The clothing and school supplies were donated

U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Johanna Ciezczak, with Combat Logistics Regiment 37, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, fits a student with donated shoes during exercise Cobra Gold 2011 at Ban Muang Rae School in Rayong province, Thailand, on Feb. 7, 2011. The clothing and school supplies were donated by U.S. service members and their families stationed in Okinawa, Japan, as part of a community relations program. Cobra Gold is a regularly scheduled joint/combined exercise designed to ensure regional peace and strengthen the ability of the Royal Thai Armed Forces to defend Thailand or respond to regional contingencies.





DoD photo by Lance Cpl. Alejandro Pena, U.S. Marine Corps. (Released)

Jumping down from a mud wall

 U.S. Army Pfc. Andrew Ballard jumps down from a mud wall during a foot patrol with his squad in Arghandab district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, Jan. 31, 2011. Ballard is an infantryman assigned to 2nd Squad, 3rd Platoon, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. (DoD photo by Spc. Breanne Pye, U.S. Army/Released)

This is his FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT not charity...!



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Why is the Governement afraid of
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  • The Committee for the Release of Binayak Sen, Mumbai unequivocally condemns the brutal and undemocratic police action against students and human rights activists holding a peaceful demonstration at Churchgate, and sitting in a collective at The Oval Maidan,Churchgate. The demonstration was against the manifestly unjust decision of the Chhattisgarh High Court prolonging the incarceration of Dr. Binayak Sen, an internationally reknowned physician facing the persecution of the State, because he spoke up for the oppressed and Adivasis.
    Daniel Mazgaonkar, a septuagenarian Gandhian activist, along with others- mostly college professors and students, were jostled and dragged away to Azad Maidan police station.
    Kamayani Bali Mahabal, a lawyer and human rights activist, was brutally assaulted by the police and dragged to Colaba Police Station,along with student bystanders who protested against such high-handedness. Her crime- standing at Kala Ghoda silently with a poster proclaiming peace and justice!
     If, in a "democracy", the law and its guardians act with such impunity in throttling every voice of public dissent, then very "democracy" and civil liberties and human rights are in grave peril.

    - Committee For Release of Binayak Sen, Mumbai

    Adv Kamayani Bali Mahabal

    Have a Heart: Release Prisoners of Conscience

    First he was denied the right as a doctor to treat his patients. Now Dr. Binayak Sen is denied the right to his own treatment. He needs an urgent Heart Checkup and possible bypass surgery urgently
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