|
Books available from Amazon.com
(purchases help support this fan-run site)
Also of interest:
American Patriots:
The Story of Blacks in the Military
from the Revolution to Desert Storm
A dramatic and moving tribute to the military’s unsung heroes, American Patriots tells the story of the black servicemen and women who defended American ideals on the battlefield, even as they faced racism in the ranks and segregation on the home front.
The Right to Fight: A History of African Americans in the Military
by Gerald Astor
This page is hosted as part of the COMBAT! web
site.
|
African-Americans Proudly Serving in WWII
[Tuskegee] [USS
Mason] [Red Ball Express] [Buffalo Soldiers]
[Black Soldier Posters] [Black History Posters]
The Red Ball Express
 The Red Ball Express was one of World War II's most massive
logistics operations, manned primarily by African American soldiers. The trucks kept
gasoline and other vital supplies rolling to the front as American troops pushed the
Germans out of France and back toward Berlin.
Facts:
- August 1944, Patton's Third Army broke through the German lines, advancing rapidly,
moving faster than supply lines. Trucks and drivers from every available unit were pressed
into service, with most of the drivers being black, since they were restricted from
participating in combat. On Aug. 25, 1944. , the legendary Red Ball Express was born.
- The first runs in August involved over 3,000 trucks.
- Drivers on the Red Ball Express picked up freight at St. Lô, near the Normandy beaches,
and drove as fast as they could to Chartres to supply the U.S. 1st Army, or to Dreux for
the U.S. 3rd Army. This was 700-mile round trip.
- In the first month, the express delivered 290,000 tons of desperately needed supplies to
the front.
- At its peak, the Red Ball Express operated 5,958 vehicles and carried 12,342 tons of
supplies to the front.
- Trucks rolled 24-hours a day. Any trucks that broke down were shoved to the side of the
road, repaired in place by roving repair teams, and re-joined the convoy as soon as they
could.
- "Redball" is an old railroad term meaning "priority freight."
- Trucks of the RedBall Express displayed a red ball insignia, which gave them
right-of-way over other traffic.
- The Redball Express ran 81 days, until terminated in November 1944.
- Paul Robson performed a wonderful song about the Red Ball Express in a film that I only
saw once, as part of a grammar school class assignment. If anyone has this on tape or
record, I'd love to hear it again.
The
Road to Victory : The Untold Story of World War II's Red Ball Express
by David P. Colley
Paperback, 300 page
List Price $6.99
 1952 movie
The
Red Ball Express,
downplays (almost ignores) the role of black soldiers on the express. |
|
  
Other web sites of interest:
[Tuskegee] [USS
Mason] [Red Ball Express] [Buffalo Soldiers]
[Black Soldier Posters] [Black History Posters] |
