Books and films about D-Day often show an all-white group of soldiers arriving in Normandy on June 6, 1944. Among them, about 2,000 African Americans are believed to have landed at the time. The African Americans served in a United States military that separated people by race. But on Normandy, everyone faced the same dangers. The only African American force in battle that day was the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion. Its job was to set up explosive-rigged balloons to prevent German airplanes from attacking the Allies. Linda Hervieux wrote about the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion in her book “Forgotten: The Untold Story of D-Day’s Black Heroes, at Home and at War.” Hervieux said the U.S. military resisted efforts to end racial separation policies as it prepared for World War II. The military kept separate units and separate areas for black and white troops. “This was a very expensive and inefficient way to run an army. The Army ... could have ordered its men to integrate and to treat black soldiers as fully equal partners in this war. The Army declined to do so,” she said. By the end of the war, more than a million African Americans served in the military.
Title: Black US Soldiers Fighting on D-Day, Racism Back Home
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3380/9960b8f6-72ec-48e2-a316-1d288878f408_hq.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Black US Soldiers Fighting on D-Day, Racism Back Home' data-article-id='3893'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='12063'>Books and films about D-Day often show an all-white group of soldiers arriving in Normandy on June 6, 1944.</span> <span data-start-time='12063' data-end-time='21083'>Among them, about 2,000 African Americans are believed to have landed at the time.</span> <span data-start-time='21083' data-end-time='29688'>The African Americans served in a United States military that separated people by race.</span> <span data-start-time='29688' data-end-time='35438'>But on Normandy, everyone faced the same dangers.</span> <span data-start-time='35438' data-end-time='45333'>The only African American force in battle that day was the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion.</span> <span data-start-time='45333' data-end-time='55396'>Its job was to set up explosive-rigged balloons to prevent German airplanes from attacking the Allies.</span> <span data-start-time='55396' data-end-time='69375'>Linda Hervieux wrote about the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion in her book “Forgotten: The Untold Story of D-Day’s Black Heroes, at Home and at War.”</span> <span data-start-time='69375' data-end-time='80938'>Hervieux said the U.S. military resisted efforts to end racial separation policies as it prepared for World War II.</span> <span data-start-time='80938' data-end-time='88771'>The military kept separate units and separate areas for black and white troops.</span> <span data-start-time='88771' data-end-time='94104'>“This was a very expensive and inefficient way to run an army.</span> <span data-start-time='94104' data-end-time='103458'>The Army ... could have ordered its men to integrate and to treat black soldiers as fully equal partners in this war.</span> <span data-start-time='103458' data-end-time='107438'>The Army declined to do so,” she said.</span> <span data-start-time='107438' data-end-time='114875'>By the end of the war, more than a million African Americans served in the military.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button 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cannot</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3380/to_eat_or_drink_something.wav'><span>to eat or drink something</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3380/to_be_disorganized.wav'><span>to be disorganized</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=13022 data-hint-location='21083' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3380/the_african_americans_served_in_a_united_states_military_that_separated_people_by_what.wav'>The African Americans served in a United States military that separated people by what?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='race'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3380/language.wav'><span>language</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3380/religion.wav'><span>religion</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3380/race.wav'><span>race</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3380/income.wav'><span>income</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=13023 data-hint-location='29688' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3380/but_on_normandy_everyone_faced_the_same__blank_.wav'>But on Normandy, everyone faced the same <span class='blank'>dangers</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='dangers'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3380/dangers.wav'><span>dangers</span></div><div class='choice' 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