African-American+Soldiers

African-American Soldiers During the time of the Vietnam War, African A mericans made up 11%  of the United States population (Butler). The soldiers in Vietnam were 12.6% African American; the highest proportion there has ever been in an American War. This disproves the myth that there were more African Americans fighting in the war than whites. (Butler). This war also caused a huge change in attitude regarding African Americans being in the war in general. Before Vietnam, America was under the impression that they weren't even fit for combat. Nearly 20%  of soldiers that lost their lives in the war were African American (Butler). The Vietnam War took place in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King Jr. saw it as "A white man's war; a black man's fight" (Coffey), with regards to racism. He noticed that there was a far greater amount of young African Americans than white Americans being drafted that were subject to going into combat early on. That was most likely because the draft was clearly in favor of the middle and upper class whites, causing most of the men drafted to be unemployed, uneducated, and poor; a majority of the African American population at that time. African Americans had little to no say in the draft. Most draft boards around the U.S. were made up of less than 1% of them, and some had none at all (Coffey). African Americans did not find it fair that they were treated unequally back home and they in a way forced to fight for the same country that didn't give them respect and honor. Why risk any more lives after so many have already been lost because of the Americans mistreatment? Myths were created from these protests and disagreements within the civilians throughout the United States. = MYTHS =

For example:
It's said to be that there was a disproportionate number of blacks that were killed in Vietnam. Conclusion: This myth is not true. Sociologists Charles C. Moskos and John Sibley wrote a book "All That We Can Be", that analyzed the claims that have been made of blacks being used as cannon fodder, soldiers who are not believed to be important and who are sent to fight in the most dangerous places where they're most likely to die, to be untrue. According to the statistical evidence collected from the Vietnam War: ==="Black Fatalities amounted to 12% of all americans killed in South East Asia, a figure proportional to the number of blacks in the U.S. population at the time and sightly lower than the proportion of blacks in the army at the close at war." (Hanson)===

According to an article, "Black Power In Vietnam" in //Time Magazine,// September 1969,

"Only two years ago, the U.S. military seemed to represent the most integrated institution in American society. In many ways it still does. But the armed services, made up of so many conscripts and "volunteers" escaping conscription, are mirrors that reflect and sometimes exaggerate the divisions of the entire society." Back to the Home Page