Question

Which statement is NOT true of African American soldiers during the Second World War?

a) Army blood donations were segregated into "black" and "white" plasma.
b) Neither African Americans nor Japanese Americans were integrated with white or Latino soldiers.
c) African Americans performed with distinction in combat.
d) Troop shortages forced a change in the segregationist policies of the administration.
e) African Americans refused to serve under white commanders.

Answer 1

The statement that is NOT true about African American soldiers during the Second World War is that they refused to serve under white commanders. All other statements reflect true aspects of their service experience, including segregation, the valor of units like the Tuskegee Airmen, and changes related to troop shortages. The correct answer is option e).

Step-by-step explanation:

You asked which statement is NOT true of African American soldiers during the Second World War. The incorrect statement is (e) African Americans refused to serve under white commanders. In truth, while African Americans were subjected to segregated units and often faced discrimination, they did serve under white officers and demonstrated valor and skill in various combat roles across different branches of the military.

Statement (a) refers to the Red Cross's practice of segregating blood donations by race, which was a true practice until a campaign by the NAACP put an end to it. Statement (b) is partially correct because, while African American soldiers were segregated, other minority groups were informally segregated and sometimes banded together due to shared experiences. Statement (c) highlights the distinguished combat performance of African American units, such as the Tuskegee Airmen and the 761st Tank Battalion. Lastly, statement (d) talks about troop shortages that eventually led to changes in segregationist policies, which is historically accurate.

The experience of African American soldiers in WWII was marred by segregation and limited opportunities, but their service contributed to the eventual desegregation of the U.S. Armed Forces after the war.