278 ChaPter^5
opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color,
religion, or national origin.” The Order did not specifically call for an end to
segregation, although that was Truman’s intent. Consequently, it took several
years to complete the process of integrating the military.
In general practice, the Army did not use black troops in combat during
the war. The 92d Infantry saw action in Italy, and another group of black
soldiers were in the Battle of the Bulge. The most celebrated black unit, the
99th Air Force Fighter squadron – the Tuskegee Airmen – performed superbly
over Germany escorting bombers in 1944 and 1945. By the end of the war,
more than 500,000 African Americans had served in the Army. On the whole,
the Roosevelt Administration did little to advance civil rights during the war.
He willingly listened to Black leaders express their discontent, but whatever
sympathy he possessed was small in comparison to political realities. Roosevelt
feared losing support in the South if he moved too far in challenging segrega-
tion and discrimination at home in America. Despite the reluctance of theFIGuRE 5-12 Tuskegee airmen at a briefing in Ramitelli, Italy, March 1945