 Honoring Sergeant
Carter: Redeeming a Black World War II Hero's Legacy
by Allene G. Carter and Robert L. Allen
In the early months of 1945, the long and bitter struggle against Nazi
Germany reached a decisive stage. Allied forces launched a massive
assault on the Rhineland as they prepared to push into the heart of the
Third Reich. With the heavy casualties suffered by white soldiers, for
the first time, played a major combat role. And Sergeant Eddie Carter
was right in the thick of the battle, serving the 12th Armored Division
under Patton, as he fought to secure the Rhine and stopped the Nazis in
their tracks. With a zealous fearlessness, Cater single-handedly
captured several Germans and secured reconnaissance that would be
critical in capturing Speyer. His efforts would win him a Distinguished
Service Cross. But it wasn't until fifty-two years later Carter was
awarded the Medal of Honor.
Here is the untold story of why the American government not only
withheld Carter's much due recognition but why they also denied him -
one of the most decorated black American soldiers in WWII - the
opportunity to reenlist. And here, too, is the inspiring story of the
valiant Carter family - from the moving courtship of Eddie and his wife,
Mildred, to the family's unrelenting efforts to get the American
government to apologize and own up to the racism and McCarthyism that
fueled years of deceit and bigotry.
Amistad, 0-06-621236-7, $23.95 |
