Immortal Valour

This fascinating book begins by reminding the reader that, to date, almost 3,500 Medals of Honor have been awarded to American service personnel since it was instituted in 1861. It will come as a surprise to learn that of this figure, only 89 medals have been awarded to African-American troops and none in either world war. This book explains how this imbalance occurred and why it has taken America so long to set the record straight. Over one million black troops served in WWII, but only seven were considered to retroactively receive the Medal of Honor. Each is highlighted in turn and goes some way to correcting the attitudes of the time. Each man is worthy of the award and as a starting point for further research into the individual actions of these men, this book serves as a solid reference work and will prompt the question - why did it take America so long to recognise their heroism?

Title:

Immortal Valor

Author:

Robert Child

Publisher:

Osprey, Oxford

ISBN:

9781472852854

Price:

£25.00