A few years ago, former NBC news anchor, and White House correspondent Tom Brokaw, wrote a book titled The Greatest Generation…(1998)

Its an interesting read that includes first-person narratives of stories of veterans who served in the armed forces. There are a wide range of profiles from diverse communities, nationalities and race.

The time frame of the book tracks those who grew up during the depression and served in World War II. This was also during the height of red-blooded unquestionable patriotism for God’s America.

As I read the book, I often thought about my Dad, Jim Williams, who served in the Army during the Korean War. I wondered what he would have shared. Mr. Brokaw did not include Jim’s story in his book. It is probably because he never fought in World War II. Even if he did, I am not so sure he would have been willing to open up about it.

Jim did not talk much about the war he did find himself in. (the Korean conflict) Only that he was in a fox hole most of the time trying to survive. He says he was one of the lucky ones, due to the fact that he was an American Black man.

Lucky? How so? I asked.

Jim says he was surrounded by white men who were more concerned with staying alive and saving their skin rather than being preoccupied with skin color.

It was 1950. Yes, he was lucky.

I asked what the conditions were like when he returned. Was there a parade? If there was, did he participate? No comment.

He did talk about how he was grateful to have survived the so called visible enemy over there. But he was often silent about returning home to the United States. Although he never really said it, I am certain it was because he encountered a much more visible enemy nicknamed Jim Crow. Also known as systemic racist practices.

Jim’s home town was Little Rock, Arkansas. A few of his fellow soldiers returned back to Little Rock with him. After kissing the cement ground in gratitude, they decided to celebrate down home style at a local merchant. As they piled into a local bar the white soldiers were applauded while Jim was not welcomed and asked, I mean told to leave.

When the other men saw this, they told the servers that Jim stays or they go. They all left together.

Welcome home Jim. Well sort of.

To proudly display that he loved his country, Jim wore his uniform while looking for jobs. He hoped it would bring him luck. As luck or chance would have it, a local small business owner did hire Jim to drive his truck, load, unload, and make deliveries. He also did something most white men would have never done.

Mr. Pollard gave Jim a registered gun to protect himself in the store and on delivery runs.

Jim told me he never had to use the gun on any locals for wanting to “challenge his position or as they cliché goes “put him in his place” . But he did have to show a couple of white men that he wasn’t afraid to use the gun if he had to choose between living or dying. True story.

Jim did not talk about the details of the Korean war much, but he did talk about the friendships that he made in the foxholes. After the incident with his returning army friends, they only stopped for a beer in places that served everyone. At the end of the day, Jim said they were all just soldiers who were people first, in uniforms or without uniforms.

Even when a veteran is silent, listen to them. Thank you Sgt. James Williams Jr.

FC Hickombottom