Black Men: There is Power in the Military

August 2nd, 2008 | By Sonnie Johnson

In WWI there were >350,000 black troops. None were allowed to fight.

In WWII, the numbers increased. Though there were some exceptions, most troops still weren’t allowed to fight. They did play a major role as drivers on the Red Ball Express, the backbone for delivering supplies across Europe.

It wasn’t until Vietnam that black men got to actually fight for the United States of America. Of course, not counting the Civil War.

www.blackmilitaryworld.com Check for all kind of stats and stories.

Today, I get sick when I hear people say, the military isn’t a place for a black man. There are a couple factors that contribute to my disgust.

Using it as a Race Card

If you’ve read any of my articles, you know how I feel about excuses. But this is even worse, because they are setting up excuses for the future. Now what happens if no black men enter the Military for the next ten years. Ten years from now, you can would hear Democrats running of the platform there are no black faces in the Military. Of course, there isn’t. We have a volunteer military, if they don’t apply there won’t be any black faces.

They just send them places to die

More black men die on the streets of America in one year, then we’ve lost the entire time in Iraq. A Black American has more of a chance of being killed here, than any other place in the world. What makes it worse? Here, it’s usually another Black American committing the crime.

Experience can be your way out

How many dudes in the hood get the chance to work on an Airplane? How many dudes get the opportunity to learn how diplomacy works. Well I take that back, it’s a lot of diplomacy in the streets. But how many of them know, that’s what they’re doing? How many dudes wouldn’t make it in college, but would excel in security or be a great commander? Most people never know what their real passion is, because they never get a chance to experience it.

Other people get the Power

Most elected officials have had some sort of military back round. Those that don’t are usually very liberal and/or come from money. Military service gives you creditability. Just the simple fact you decided to serve, makes people listen to you just a little more. Whether it’s to complain or compliment, they listen. That’s power, especially to someone who’s never felt it before.

The Just

Normally, I would write out these long blogs. Telling of this and that, but this time I wanted to keep it short. We are a country at War. Two Wars, with more brewing around the corner, but that not an excuse. I wanted to join the Military, but I had Crohn’s and wasn’t excepted. I scored a 91 on my test and was told I could do any job I wanted.

They didn’t say, ‘well usually we sign black girls up for this.’ They didn’t say, ‘I think you’d be more comfortable doing this.’ They said I could do anything I wanted. By the time they laxed the rules, I had a baby.

Where would I be right now? I can’t answer. Maybe I would have hit a land mine and blew off my leg. Maybe a sniper would have taken me out. Maybe I could’ve been captured and held for months. Or maybe, just maybe, I could have pointed to something others missed and caught Bin Laden. Maybe I could’ve been the one to convince Saddam to allow the inspectors in. Maybe I could’ve been the one to get close enough to Ahmadinejad to assassinate him.

Maybe it could be you that stops the next war. Or you that wages the next war, with a winning strategy from the beginning. If we never try, how will we ever know our true potential. Just Ask Colin Powell.