The 92nd Infantry Division was an all-black (except for the white officers) that fought on the Western Front in WWI. It was reactivated in October, 1942, but was still segregated. It kept the buffalo insignia and the nickname “Buffalo Soldiers” from when they faced Indians in the West. It was meant as a term of respect. The division was sent to Italy in July, 1944. They were part of the assault on the German Gothic Line. The hilly terrain made this a tough nut to crack. Vernon Baker was a 1st Lieutenant in the 370th Regimental Combat Team. He had found a home in the army. At age four, his parents were killed in a car accident. He and his siblings were raised by their grandparents, but he spent several years in an orphanage because his grandma was difficult to live with. He graduated from high school and became a porter on a railroad, then menial jobs until he enlisted in June, 1941. In Italy, he was wounded and spent two months in a hospital. On April 5, 1945, he led his platoon against a very strong German position. He killed nine Germans and took out three machine guns, an observation post, and a dugout. 19 of his 25 men were killed in the assault. The next day he led a patrol through a minefield. He clearly deserved the Medal of Honor, but the Army was racist so he got the Distinguished Service Cross. In 1992, the Army created a commission to examine all the DSCs given to African-Americans in WWII. Seven of them were upgraded to Medals of Honor. Only Vernon was alive to receive his from Pres. Carter on Jan. 13, 1997.
– Amazing 361-3
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