J anuary 14, 1997
New York Times
WASHINGTON -- Half a century after most of them died in combat, seven men Monday were awarded the Medals of Honor that they were denied after World War II because they were black.
"The only thing that I can say to those that are not here with me is thank you fellas, well done," Joseph Vernon Baker, the only one of the decorated soldiers still living, said after a White House ceremony Monday. "And I will always remember you."
Their courage and ability derided by white officers, the soldiers honored Monday fought in segregated units, protecting freedoms they did not fully share. But the talk among their widows and children was more about lessons learned by all than about family bitterness or years of impatient waiting for recognition.
Arlene Fox, whose husband, John, died in Italy in 1944, paused and then sighed when asked what the day meant to her family.
"Well, I think it's more than just what it means to this family," she said at last. "I think it sends a message to all, like a little wake-up call, that when a man does his duty, his color isn't important."
Volunteering to stay behind to direct defensive fire as his unit withdrew from Sommocolonia, 1st Lt. Fox insisted over the objections of his commanding officer that all firepower be directed at his post, since it was the only way to defeat the attacking Germans.
"Fire it," began Fox's last communication, described in his medal citation. "There's more of them than there are of us. Give them hell." When the Allies retook the city, his body was found among those of 100 Germans. Fox, of Ohio, was 29 years old.
At the ceremony, Mrs. Fox wept silently after President Clinton gave her a wooden and glass box containing the gold medal -- the nation's highest award for bravery -- strung on a sky-blue ribbon.
Two black soldiers have been awarded Medals of Honor for fighting in the Korean War, and for service in Vietnam, 20 more black soldiers earned the same recognition. Freddie Stowers, a black veteran of World War I nominated for the medal in 1918, finally received it posthumously from President George Bush in 1991. Black soldiers, including those honored on Monday, received numerous medals for service in World War II, but none had received the highest honor for bravery.
In 1993, responding to requests from black veterans, the Department of the Army ordered an inquiry into why none from World War II had received the medal. Investigators found no documents proving that blacks were discriminated against in decisions to award the honor, but concluded that a climate of racism prevented proper recognition of the extraordinary heroism of some black fighters.
"History has been made whole today," Clinton declared, standing in the East Room before Gilbert Stuart's full-length portrait of George Washington, "and our nation is bestowing honor on those who have long deserved it."
For the White House, the ceremony provided a ringing counterpoint to the tawdrier spectacle under way a few blocks east, at the Supreme Court. There, lawyers bickered over whether Paula Jones' sexual-harassment lawsuit against Clinton could proceed while he is in office. The White House said the ceremony was not scheduled to coincide with the oral arguments.
In the East Room, as Clinton recounted young 2nd Lt. Baker's heroic acts in Viareggio, Italy, in April 1945 -- how he destroyed four machine gun posts, killed nine Germans, and drew enemy fire to allow his comrades to evacuate -- Baker, 77, stood silently staring into space.
"I was thinking about what was going on up on the hill that day," he explained later. "I'm sorry."
A small, even elfin man, Baker, of St. Maries, Idaho, stood coatless in a blue suit outside the White House on Monday, ignoring the piercing wind as he described killing a mountain lion with his rifle while hunting last year. "I was stalking an elk," he said, "and he was stalking me."
He sounded surprised when asked if he had ever given up hope of winning the medal, as if the question presumed arrogance. "I never thought about getting it," he said.
Indeed, he was as matter-of-fact about his heroism -- "I was a soldier and I had a job to do" -- as he was when asked why he joined up in the first place. "Well, I was a young black man without a job," he said.
He allowed, though, that it was "kinda rough" risking his life for his country while serving in a segregated unit. "I was an angry young man," he said. "We were all angry. But we had a job to do and we did it."
Still, he added, "My personal thoughts were that, I knew things would get better, and I'm glad to say that I'm here to see it."
In his remarks, Clinton said the Armed Forces have become "among the most integrated institutions in America," citing the service of distinguished black veterans.
"The men we honor here today helped to make their historic progress possible," Clinton said. "They were denied their nation's highest honor, but their deeds could not be denied, and they cleared the way to a better world."
David J. Williams, who identified himself as "ex-captain, the black panther battalion," still sounded astonished Monday as he described his long fight for recognition for one of his soldiers, Ruben Rivers of Hotulka, Okla.
When his tank was hit by a mine while advancing toward Guebling, France, Staff Sgt. Rivers refused to be evacuated, taking command of another tank and directing fire at the enemy for three days. He was killed while defending his company as it withdrew.
"This was the toughest battle I ever had," said Capt. Williams, who is white. "The Germans -- I knew my enemy. But this time, racism, it's tougher to defeat."
Medals were also awarded posthumously to Staff Sgt. Edward A. Carter Jr. of Los Angeles; Pfc.
Willy F. James Jr. of Kansas City, Mo.; 1st Lt. Charles L. Thomas of Detroit; Pvt. George
Watson of Birmingham, Ala.