This Chinese photograph says these are
prisoners from the all-Negro 24th Infantry
Regiment.
One of these men has the bearing of a
soldier. The demeanor of the rest may be explained by
noting that the 24th Infantry, known to themselves as
the "Deuce Four," were commonly considered
the least reliable infantry force in the United States
Army.
Individually, many 24ID soldiers fought
with determination and utmost bravery but as a
segregated unit, among other marks of distinction, 24ID
coined the phrase "Bug Out" as the primary
tactical objective when facing possible
combat.
Note, BK
POWs who have recently been
under heavy fire and/or in extreme danger usually seem
in shock for some time after capture. None of the POW
photos I have, from any army in any war, show men
behaving like this, e.g. check the Scots or other POW photo
links.
These remarks should not be
construed as a racial statement. Rather, they are a
condemnation of all racial statements, such as the
blindness of segregation. But, this site is an attempt
to honestly portray the events of the Korean War and
the kinds of men we were who fought it. In my opinion,
this photo does indicate the unusual character of the
24th Infantry Regiment, which is today being lionized
by many people who are motivated by political agendas,
which as usual will ultimately do more harm than the
simple truth.
To our shame, deliberate
deceit for hidden subjective purposes is a common
American political tactic. Before you read further,
review your impressions about Americans who fought and
suffered in the Vietnam War.
Now, ask yourself if your impressions are consistent
with these facts:
Two-thirds of those who
served during Vietnam were volunteers rather than
draftees, and 77 percent of those who died were
volunteers. Of those who died, 86 percent were
Caucasian, 12.5 percent were African-American, and 1.2
percent were from other races.
Fully 91 percent of those who
served in Vietnam combat stated that they were glad
they had served their country, and 74 percent said they
had enjoyed their time in the military. Moreover, 71
percent of those who expressed an opinion indicated
that they would go to Vietnam again, even knowing the
end result and the ridicule that would be heaped on
them when they returned.
The main imbalance in the Vietnam
war (as in the Korean War) was simply that the
privileged avoided their obligations, and have
persisted since that time in demeaning the war and the
patriotism of those who did serve their country, in
order to protect themselves from the judgment of
history. Of course, there are other ways to "protect themselves". Today far more of them falsely claim to be Vietnam Veterans than ever served up country.
Reference
