Segregation During World War II

Segregation during World War II was at its lowest point in history, but one group called the Triple Nickles worked through it and became highly tuned fighting machines, never getting to show their worth in the front lines of the war. The African Americans of the 555th trained the same if not more than the regular caucasian paratrooper. Due to segregation of the time period all African Americans were treated worse than prisoners. Then they got a break, and felt their calling as smokejumpers out in the Western United States. Yet after countless jumps and many fires stopped, World War II was over, and they had to go back to the previous conditions in the miltary bases, of being segregated.
Welcome to the military, African-Americans where there
The reality of discrimination and racism wasn't too far away from where it started, blacks were still forced away from white sections. “Soldiers were fighting the world's worst racist, Adolph Hitler, in the world's most segregated army” (Stephen Ambrose, n.d.). In 1942 white MP, military police, in Alexandria, LA beat a black soldier. When other black military members joined, white citizens decided to join too, resulting in a full scale riot (Stone, 2013). Morris experienced German and Italian P.O.W.’s, prisoners of war, sitting with the white soldiers at their table talking and buying cigarettes at the Post Exchange, but yet blacks had to sit at a different table and use a different store.
The 555th finally got transformed from a small company to a Battalion. The 555th received the orders to increase their size from a company of 62-140 soldiers, to a battalion with 300-1,000 soldiers (Stone, 2013). On February 18, 1944, sixteen soldiers made history by becoming the first African American paratroopers (Stone, 2013). Robinson’s dying mother caused him to leave, but when he returned he had to finish schooling in an all white class, which he said was a very bad experience. Weeks later Robinson got his wings, which were earned by completing 4 day jumps, and 1 night jump (Stone,
Even after all the training and preparing they had already completed, they had to endure more for smokejumping. The troop was split into two groups, some went to Pendleton, Oregon, while the others were sent to Chico, California (Stone, 2013). While the majority of the troop was trained for firefighting and smokejumping, some were trained to dismantle bombs like Walden and Biggs (Stone, 2013). In July the Triple Nickles were considered the U.S. Army's only smokejumpers (History of the Triple Nickles, 2008).
The 555th soon realized they still had no place in society. After all they had done they still weren't accepted as equal citizens (Stone, 2013). When Triple Nickles met the original smoke jumpers, they learned many good tips and strategies they would use. The 555th was accepted by some Navy officers and eventually served their first mission in helping pilots learn how to jump (Stone, 2013). Members of the 555th were the first black paratroopers to serve with the U.S. Navy (Stone, 2013). Even though they were growing, Biggs feared that this was the closest they were every going to get