The Longest War: Black GIs were the first to understand the war...
White Americans were not far behind.
EXCERPT: "... coming also from a race of 'black' humans who's fathers
and grandfathers and great-grandfathers were enslaved by 'white'
humans who sought to determine the destinies of indigenous, 'yellow'
humans in Vietnam, we inherently understood the racist terminology a
narrow group of Americans used to segregate Asians in their native
land from the 'human' race. "Gooks" in Vietnam. "Nigger" in America.
That same terminology justified, for over 400 years, the enslavement
of my black-skinned ancestors.
"Being black, I fully expected to be victimized by individuals
raised by their fathers and mothers to believe anyone who wasn't
'white', wasn't 'right'. And no matter how many days, weeks and months
I survived in Vietnam I knew in my heart my volunteering for duty to
serve twelve long months there would never be accepted by those
singular individuals who eternally detested people of color. Nothing
we could say to a racist was 'truthful'. Nothing we could do was
'honest'. To a racist, everything we said or did would be hated and
attacked. Racists view people of color as less than human."
"Fortunately, in my 400 ancestral years in America dating back
to my family's arrival in America, both as slaves and as immigrants,
we were, literally, balanced in number... white and black, Christian
and Jew. And also, fortunately, our white ancestors not only truly
cherished and loved their black spouses, they treated them as full
equals. During slavery 'owners' of my family's darker mates bent over
backwards to ensure that their knowledge and wisdom passed down to all
of their prodigy... both white and black. Every child born was to my
family was educated with a spirit and culture of Early Americanism...
devoid of color."
"I was fortunate to have been born at a time when I could talk
to and learn from living ancestors who were born slaves and freemen.
My great-grandfathers taught me not only family history but American
history. I remember my black great-Granfather saying, "It is
impossible for us to hate whites for what they did to black Americans.
Their blood is intermingled with ours. Our blood is intermingled with
theirs. We are one. We are Americans." I remember my white
great-Grandfather saying, "Son, be whatever you want to be."
"I was fifteen when I heard those words. It was the year 1965.
The nightly news on the war in Vietnam was re****ted by an innovative
two-man team of journalists called "Huntley and Brinkley". Little did
I know that in four short years I would be fighting in South Vietnam
where racism leading up to and causing the deaths of men, women and
children in a village named My Lai would destroy America's
relation****p with a valued ally. Little did I know that North
Vietnamese propaganda would be fueled and encouraged by a minority but
vocal group of American racists who detested the civil rights movement
back home... and took out their anger on black soldiers only because
we were the only African Americans they could lay their hands on..."
--- An excerpt from a recent interview to be published this
month. For more on the African American perspective in
Vietnam please review...
Cannon Fodder: Growing Up For Vietnam
by Phill Coleman
Vietnam, Aug 4, 1969 -- Aug 1, 1970
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