Are Black soldiers being erased from history once again?

BY SAMUEL DE KORTE – At the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial, known as the “American Cemetery” in the Netherlands, two panels have been removed from the visitors center. These panels commemorated the contribution of Black American soldiers in World War II and highlighted the history of one of them: George H. Pruitt. Recently, it became obvious that the panels have been removed, and that decision caused a lot of heated debate and emotion.

African Americans from the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion, captured during the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944. Source: Bron: Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-2005-0076 / Scheck / CC-BY-SA 3.0

One panel contained the following text:

African American Servicemembers in WWII: Fighting on Two Fronts

During World War II, the U.S. military followed a strict policy of segregation. Despite the ongoing fight for civil rights at home during an era of racist policies, more than a million African Americans answered their nation's call enlisting in every branch of the military.

Although limited to serving primarily in labor and support positions, Black service members regularly faced the horrors of war. In the fall of 1944, the 960th Quartermaster Service Company (QMSC)-composed primarily of African Americans - arrived in Margraten to dig graves at the newly created cemetery. First Lieutenant Jefferson Wiggins of the 960th QMSC recounted the suffering of service members under his command who "cried when they were digging the graves... they were just completely traumatized."

President Harry S. Truman finally ordered the US military to desegregate in 1948. However, African Americans' fight for civil rights was far from over. Many Black soldiers, including Wiggins, returned home to become leaders in the Civil Rights movement. The achievements of African American service members in WWII served as a powerful claim for equality then and now.

George Pruitt. Source: the Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis

George H. Pruitt
The other indicated that Technician Fourth Class George H. Pruitt was buried at Plot L, Row 4, Grave 4:

George H. Pruitt was born on March 26th 1922, in Camden, New Jersey. On December 31st 1942, Pruitt enlisted and was assigned to the 43rd Signal Construction Battalion.

On June 10th 1945, Pruilt and his comrades were constructing a telephone line across a river in Bremen, when one of them fell into the fast flowing river. Without hesitation, Pruitt dove into the water to save him. Despite multiple attempts, he was not able to save his comrade. The river also claimed the life of Pruitt, he was 23 years old.

George H. Pruitt was posthumously awarded the Soldier's Medal. His widow, Blanche Pruitt, received the award during an Armistice Day celebration in his hometown on November 13th 1945.

Heated debate
In America, under the Trump administration, there has been a lot of heated debate about heritage and remembering minorities. President Trump has cancelled the diversity policies of his predecessors. This hurt people because it targets the groups that have long been left out of history, such as the Black American soldiers. The discussion in the Netherlands is difficult, because the ground of the cemetery is leased to the US, and officially, the Dutch government cannot decide anything about it. For some the removal of the panels is a painful indication that the story of Black soldiers doesn’t matter anymore, while others defend the decision as part of a new, uniform commemorative policy, where everyone is treated equally.

The problem is that the experiences of Black American soldiers are different than the experiences of white American soldiers. By treating them equally, while the experiences of one group in the past have been left out, you have the risk that it creates a warped perception of history.

Officially, the ABMC (American Battlefield Monument Commission) states that the panels are rotated regularly. This way, they can tell several stories within the same space. This makes people wonder why even if the panel by Pruitt has been removed for this reason, then why has the other panel about segregation in the US Army has been removed as well?

More than decoration
The panels are more than decoration. In the visitors center in Margraten they inform the readers about the Second World War and the soldiers who are buried there. In the years after the Second World War, there has been little consideration for the participation and experiences of Black soldiers. Think, for example, about the movie Saving Private Ryan. There is a lot of attention to detail, but there are no Black Americans in the movie. With the removed panels, the cemetery ensured that there was also space for the experiences of Black American soldiers. This contributes to a complete and fair history. Removal feels for many as a step in the wrong direction: as if Black soldiers are again erased from history.

About the author:

Samuel de Korte, historian, wrote several books about Black Americans during World War II, including about the 614th Tank Destroyer Battalion, the Tuskegee Airmen, and the 452nd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion.