The Fahy Committee dad Desegregregation of the Armed Forces

Notes1. The importance of the issue of segregation in the armed forces for Negroes during World War I1 is detailed in Richard M. Dalfiume, “Desegregation of the United States Armed Forces, 1939‐1953,” (Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, University of Missouri, 1966), chaps. II‐VI. The rise of this issue to one of political importance during 1948 and the background of the order is discussed in Dalfiurne, 190–212; Lee Nichols, Breakthrough on the Color Front (N. Y., 1954). 82–88; Oscar R. Ewing to the author, July 22, 1964. The critical role assigned to the Negro vote in Truman's campaign strategy is revealed in Cabell Phillips, The Truman Presidency (N. Y., 1966), 197–199.2. The evolving Navy policy and Forrestal's role are discussed in Nichols, Breakthrough on the Color Front, 58–59; Lt. Dennis D. Nelson, The Integration of the Negro into the United States Navy, 1776‐1947 (U. S. Navy publication NAVEXOS‐p‐526, 1948), 49–62; Lester Granger, “Racial Democracy ‐The Navy Way.”Common Ground, VII (Winter, 1947), 61–68. The development of the Air Force integration policy is revealed in Nichols, Breakthrough on the Color Front, 75–81; “A Report on the First Year of Implementation of Current [Air Force] Policies Regarding Negro Personnel.” n.d., PPB 2912. National Archives Record Group (NARG) 330.3. New York Times, September 19, 1948; Nichols, Breakthrough MI the Color Front, 89–90. The White House had some trouble in finding a chairman. Dr. Frank Graham, educator and white moderate of North Carolina, turned the job down. Charle E. Wilson of General Motors, and former chairman of the President's Committee on Civil Rights was also approached unsuccessfully for the chairman's job. Forrestal to the President, August 3, 1948, D54‐1–16, NARG 330; memorandum to Forrestal from Marx Leva, August 31, 1948, OSA 334. NARG 335. Secretary of the Army Kenneth C. Royall felt that the Committee was being stacked against the Army. Royall wrote the President that many of the people under consideration for the Committee had expressed themselves as being opposed to segregation in the armed forces. Lester Granger, being pushed by Forrestal, was definitely in this category. “I feel strongly that no person should serve on” this Committee who has formed a fixed opinion on this subject on either side, Royall complained. Royall to the President, September 17, 1948, OSA 334, NARG 335.4. Fahy interview, August 10, 1964.5. Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, Harry S. Truman, 1948, 422.6. “Testimony Before the Fahy Committee,” I, 2–3, Fahy Committee papers, Harry S. Truman Library (HSTL). Cited hereafter as “Testimony.”7. “Testimony,” 111. 69–84; XV, 39ff; X, 2035, Fahy Committee papers, HSTL.8. Nichols, Breakthrough on the Color Front, 75–81; “A Report on the First Year of Implementation of Current [Air Force] Policies Regarding Negro Personnel,” n.d., PPB 291.2, NARC 330; Memorandum to Secretary of Defense Forrestal from Secretary Symington, January 6, 1949, OSA 2912, NARC 335. “Testimony,” 111, 69–84; IV, 9–15; X, 2–35.9. “Testimony,” III, 32, 204.10. Ibid., IX, 3–8. Also bee “'Testimony,” X, 66–73, for Army Chief of Staff General Omar Bradley's testimony that is very similar in reasoning to that of Secretary Royall.11. “An Analysis of the Work of the President's Committee Through March 28, 1949”; “Report on Gillem Board Policy and Implementation,” (typewritten manuscript, n d.), 130–131; Memoranda to Fahy from Kenworthy, March 9, 10, 1949, all in the Fahy Committee papers, HSTL.12. Memorandum to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Administration from G‐1, March 30, 1949, CS 291.2, NARG 314. The roles of Reid and Forrestal are revealed in Thomas R. Reid to the author, February 12, April 1, 1965; memorandum to Worthington Thompson from Reid, February 15. 1949, and memorandum to John H. Ohly from Reid, March 15, 1949, both in PPB 291.2, NARG 330.13. Memorandum to Secretary Johnson from Reid, April 1, 1949; memorandum to Secretary Johnson from Allen, April 5, 1949, both in D54‐1–16, NARC 30.14. Memorandum to the Secretaries of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Chairman of the Personnel Policy Board from Secretary Johnson, April 6, 1949, copy in Fahy Committee papers, HSTL. The earlier draft of the proposed policy by Reid had called for it to begin in July 1949 and be completed by July 1950: “It is the intent of this directive that the maximum integration, throughout the military establishment shall be accomplished by 1 July 1950” Apparently this wag deleted because of Army objections. See “Draft of Proposed Directive for the Armed Forces.” n.d., PPB 291.2, NARC 330.15. Memorandum to Fahy from Kenworthy, April 27, 1949, Fahy Committee papers, HSTL illustrates the change in thinking of the Committee and the results of the study of the Army's records.16. Actually, there was a delay of a few weeks in the approval of the Navy's proposal.17. Quoted in “Report on the Gillem Board Policy and Implementation.” 154–155, Fahy Committee papers. HSTL.18. Memorandum to Johnson from Royall, April 22, 1949, OSA 291.2, NARC 355.19. Quoted in “Report on the Gillem Board Policy and Implementation,” 155–156, Fahy Committee papers, HSTL.20. “Ibid.”, 156.21. “Initial Recommendations by the President's Committee,” n.d., Fahy Committee papers. HSTL.22. Memorandum to Fahy from Kenworthy, May 22, 1949, Fahy Committee papers, HSTL.23. Ibid.24. This second proposal h quoted in “Report on Gillem Board Policy and Implementation,” 157–159, Fahy Committee papas. HSTL.25. Ibid., 159–160.26. Ibid., 159.27. Dalfiume, “Desegregation of the United States Armed Forces, 1939‐1953,” chap. I; “The Colored Soldier in the U. S. Army” (Typewritten manuscript in the Office of the Chief of Military History, 1942), 110–135; Ulysses G. Lee, Jr., “The United States Army in World War II: Special Studies: The Employment of Negro Troops” (Draft manuscript in the Office of the Chief of Military History, March 1964), chaps. I–II; interview with Judge Charles Fahy, August 10, 1964, Thomas R. Reid to the author, April 1, 1965: E. W. Kenworthy, “The Case Against Army Segregation,”The Annals, CCLXXV (May 1951), 27–33. This belief in the inherent cowardice of the Negro soldier in stated openly only infrequently in the documents of the period, but it is always just below the surface of Army arguments against integration. For example, the Army's second reply to the Secretary of Defense also contained this statement: “The soldier on the battlefield deserves to have, and must have, utmost confidence in his fellow soldiers. They must eat together, sleep together, and die together. There can be no friction that might bring on failure in battle. A chain is as strong as its weakest link, and this is true of the Army unit on the battlefield.”28. Kenworthy to W. E. Stevenson, June 13, 1949; Fahy to Secretary Johnson, June 14, 1949: Kenworthy to Fahy, June 23, 1949, Fahy Committee papers, HSTL.29. “Minutes of the Meeting of the President's Committee,” July 11, 1949, Fahy Committee papers, HSTL.30. Fahy to members of the Committee, August 3, 1949; Fahy to Secretary Gray, September 9, 1949; memorandum to members of the Committee from Kenworthy, September 19, 1949, Fahy Committee papers, HSTL.31. Memorandum to the Committee from Kenworthy, September 27, 1949. Fahy Committee papers, HSTL.32. Washington Post, October 1, 1949.33. Pittsburgh Courier, October 6, 15, 1949 Press Release of the Committee Against Jim Crow in Military Service and Training, October 6, 1949; Elmer W. Henderson, Director of the American Council on Human Rights, both in Fahy Committee papers, HSTL. Charles M. LaFollette, National Director of Americans for Democratic Action, to the President, October 1, 1949, Official File 190T. HSTL.34. Memorandum to Fahy from Kenworthy, October 2, 1949, Fahy Committee papers, HSTL.35. Reid to the author, April 1, 1965. The same anxiety is expressed in memorandum to Reid from Col. J. F. Cassidy. August 23, 1949, PPB 291.2, NARC 330.36. Memorandum to the President from Fahy, October 11. 1949, Fahy Committee papers, HSTL; memorandum to the President from David K. Niles, October 5, 1949, Philleo Nash papers, HSTL; Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, Harry S. Truman, 1949, 501.37. The two orders are quoted in “Report on Gillem Board Policy and Implementation,” 171–172, Fahy Committee papers, HSTL; New York Times, November 4, 1949. This incident can be traced in Nichols, Breakthrough on the Color Front, 99; memorandum to Fahy from Kenworthy, October 29, 1949; memorandum to Philleo Nash from Kenworthy, November 3, 1949, both in Fahy Committee papers, HSTL. Secretary Gray's reaction is disclosed in memorandum to Marx Leva from Worthington Thompson, November 3, 1949, D54‐1–16, NARC 330.38. Memoranda to Fahy from Kenworthy, October 18, 26, November 22, 1949; memorandum for the record by Kenworthy, December 9, 1949, all in the Fahy Committee papers, HSTL.39. John H. Sengstacke to Fahy, November 8, 29. 1949; memorandum for the record by Kenworthy, November 27, 1949 Dwight Palmer to Kenworthy. November 28, 1949, all in Fahy Committee papers, HSTL.40. Memorandum 10 the President from the President's Committee, December 15, 1943, Fahy Committee papen, HSTIw.41. Memorandum to the Committee members from Fahy, December 27, 1949, Fahy Committee papers. HSTL.42. These negotiations can be followed in memoranda to Committee members from Fahy, December 29, 30, 1949, January 5, 6, 1950. Fahy Committee papers, HSTL.43. Memorandum to the President from Fahy, January 16, 1950, Fahy Committee papers, HSTL. The Amy's new racial policy was released as Special Regulations No. 600–629–1, a copy of which is in the Fahy Committee papers.44. Secretary Gray to the President, March 1, 1950, Official File 1285B. HSTL.45. Memorandum to Gray from President Truman, March 27, 1950, OSA 291.2, NARG 835.46. “Report of the Board of Officers on Utilization of Negro Manpower in the Army to the Secretary of the Army,” February 9, 1950, OSA 291.2, NARC 335.47. This story is told in Dalfiume, “Desegregation of the United States Armed Forces, 1939‐1953,” chap. X; Nichols, Breakthrough on the Color Front, 107–142; H. S. Milton (ed.), The Utilization of Negro Manpower in the Army(Chevy Chase, Maryland, 1955).Additional informationNotes on contributorsRichard M. DalfiumeMr. Dalfiume, assistant professor of history at the State University of New York at Binghamton, gave a shortened version of this paper at the Southern Historical Association's meeting in Memphis, November 11. 1966

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