World War II ended on September 2, 1945. Black American soldiers participated heavily in one of the largest wars of the twentieth century. It was this war that transformed the U.S. Military into a force heavily made up of Black Americans.

2) There were only a few thousand Black Americans serving in the military prior to WWII and over one million would be serving at the conclusion of the war. Despite racism and segregation at home, Black Americans were willing to sacrifice their very being for this nation.

3) It was after the end of the war that the military was officially integrated. On July 26, 1948, President Harry Truman issued Executive Order 9981 to end racial discrimination in the United States Armed Forces. The segregation of the military eventually evolved from this order.

4) #APhillipRandolph and #GrantReynolds received credit for expediting the end to military segregation by establishing in 1947 the ‘Committee Against #JimCrow in Military Service and Training’.

5) Millions of Black Americans found the military as a way out of poverty and a way to push aside the weights that prevented them from succeeding in life. The military was not perfect then or now, but it became a place for employment opportunities for Black Americans.