World War II vet receives medals after 57-year wait

Jet, March 4, 2002

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Caption: WORLD WAR II VET RECEIVES MEDALS AFTER 57-YEAR WAIT: World War II combat veteran Ernest Smith, 79, of Springfield Garden, NY, receives his Bronze Star from New York Gov. George Pataki as soldiers from the National Guard's 1st Battalion, 258th Field Artillery Regiment look on during the recent ceremony at the National Guard Armory in Jamaica, Queens, NY. Smith, a private first class in the Army in 1945, also was presented with the Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman's Badge and the New York State Conspicuous Service Cross. "We were really fighting two wars--one against the Nazis and one against racism," Smith said. Prior to World War II, Blacks had been prohibited from serving in combat units. Smith was one of 2,221 Black soldiers who fought in the infantry during World War II, after heavy American losses in Europe in 1944 prompted Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower to call for volunteers from the segregated Black troops. Smith served with Company D, 66th Armored Infantry Battalion, 12th Armored Division and fought in the Rhineland and Rome-Arno Campaigns, according to the governor's office. He suffered a bullet wound to the ankle and was honorably discharged in August 1945. Yet he, like many other Black soldiers, never was issued the awards he earned for his military service. "To finally get the recognition from the Army after all these years means a great deal to me," Smith said.