FDR’s Department of War, and the individuals he appointed to lead it, were committed to segregation. He relegated Black soldiers to inferior roles. FDR denied them opportunities for advancement and for combat duty.
General Dwight David “Ike” Eisenhower thought differently.
In December 1943, Eisenhower became the Supreme Allied Commander, overseeing the European and African theaters of combat during World War II. In this position, he had an opportunity to oppose FDR’s segregationist policies.
Ike not only believed that African-American fighting men should receive the same treatment and options as every other soldier, but he also acted on this belief, as historian David Nichols writes:
In 1944, leaders at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) obtained a confidential directive issued by Eisenhower on March 1 that made officers responsible for “scrupulous enforcement” of the principle, “Equal opportunities of service and of recreation are the right of every American soldier regardless of branch, race, color, or creed.” Eisenhower particularly pushed for authority to allow Negro soldiers, normally restricted to logical support, to volunteer for combat.
Taking these steps, Ike knew that he was contradicting FDR’s official War Department policy.
To explain his actions, Eisenhower used the phrase, “a matter of justice.” He was willing to enter into direct policy conflict with the president, as David Nichols reports:
In December 1944, at the time of the Battle of the Bulge in Europe, Ike needed all the troops he could get. General John C.H. Lee issued a directive, approved by Eisenhower, proclaiming: “The opportunity to volunteer will be extended to all soldiers without regard to color or race but preference will normally be given to individuals who have had some basic training in infantry.” The War Department declared the order contrary to policy and forced Eisenhower to withdraw it, destroy the original message, and substitute a more innocuous message.
Yet Ike persisted, and won: by January 1945, he finally overrode the War Department’s regulations, and more than 4,000 Black soldiers had volunteered for combat duty, served with distinction, and earned recognition.
Eisenhower’s perseverance opened the door for African-Americans to advance within the United State military.
