The Racist US Marine General Who Said One White Soldier Was Better Than 50 Black Soldiers: A History of Racial Discrimination Against African Americans in the U.S. Military

Introduction

For much of American history, African Americans have fought for a nation that often denied them equal rights. From the segregated units of World War II to the integration battles of the Cold War era and continuing debates about racial disparities in military justice and promotions, Black servicemen and women have experienced both extraordinary achievement and institutional discrimination.

One of the most infamous examples came from Marine Corps Commandant Major General Thomas Holcomb, whose views reflected widespread racial attitudes within parts of the U.S. military establishment during the Second World War.

Thomas Holcomb and the Exclusion of Black Marines

Before World War II, the U.S. Marine Corps officially excluded African Americans from serving.

Commandant Thomas Holcomb strongly opposed the enlistment of Black Marines. According to historical records, he argued:

“If it were a question of having a Marine Corps of 5,000 whites or 250,000 Negroes, I would rather have the whites.”

Holcomb also reportedly stated that African Americans had no inherent right to serve in the Marine Corps.

Political pressure from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, civil rights organizations, and wartime manpower demands eventually forced the Marine Corps to accept Black recruits in 1942.

However, those recruits were segregated at the newly established Montford Point training facility in North Carolina. In 1943, Holcomb approved policies that restricted African-American Marines from commanding white troops and limited promotion opportunities.

The first Black Marines, known today as the “Montford Point Marines,” served with distinction despite systemic discrimination and helped pave the way for future integration.

Segregation During World War II

World War II was fought against racist ideologies abroad while segregation remained official policy within much of the American military.

Black troops often served in separate units led by white officers. Many were assigned labor, transportation, supply, and construction duties rather than combat roles.

Notable segregated units included:

• Tuskegee Airmen
• 761st Tank Battalion
• 92nd Infantry Division

Despite outstanding battlefield performance, Black units frequently received less recognition than white counterparts.

Other Military Leaders Who Expressed Racist Views

Several military figures from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries expressed views now recognized as racist.

General John J. Pershing

John J. Pershing commanded U.S. forces during World War I. Although often more progressive than many contemporaries, he operated within a segregated military system and allowed Black combat units to be placed under French command rather than integrated into American formations.

General George S. Patton

George S. Patton made numerous disparaging remarks about African-American soldiers in private correspondence and diaries. Historians have documented comments questioning the combat capabilities of Black troops, although some Black units performed effectively under his command.

General Albert C. Wedemeyer

Albert Coady Wedemeyer expressed views reflecting prevailing racial stereotypes of his era and opposed aspects of racial integration during portions of his career.

Numerous Southern-Based Officers

Many officers who rose through the ranks during the Jim Crow era openly supported segregation. Their views influenced military policies regarding housing, assignments, promotions, and command structures until the late 1940s.

President Truman Ends Official Segregation

A major turning point came in 1948 when President Harry S. Truman issued Executive Order 9981.

The order declared:

“There shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion or national origin.”

The order marked the beginning of the desegregation of the U.S. military, making it one of the first major American institutions required by federal policy to integrate.

The Korean War and Integration

The Korean War accelerated integration.

Military leaders discovered that integrated units often performed as well as or better than segregated ones. By the end of the conflict, many formerly segregated units had been dissolved.

The success of integrated combat operations undermined decades of racist assumptions regarding Black military performance.

Vietnam and Continuing Challenges

By the Vietnam War, African Americans were serving throughout the military.

However, racial tensions remained significant.

Black troops complained of:

• Unequal disciplinary actions
• Limited promotion opportunities
• Racial harassment
• Underrepresentation among senior leadership

Several racial incidents occurred aboard ships, military bases, and combat installations during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Black Leadership Breaks Barriers

Despite obstacles, African Americans rose to the highest levels of military leadership.

Historic milestones include:

Colin Powell

Colin Powell became the first African American Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1989 and later served as U.S. Secretary of State.

Roscoe Robinson Jr.

Roscoe Robinson Jr. became the Army’s first Black four-star general in 1982.

Charles Q. Brown Jr.

Charles Q. Brown Jr. became the second African American to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Frank E. Petersen

Frank E. Petersen became the Marine Corps’ first Black aviator and later its first Black general.

Have Blacks Fully Achieved Equality in the U.S. Military?

Most historians agree that the U.S. military has made far greater progress on racial integration than many civilian institutions.

African Americans now serve in every military specialty, command combat units, become generals and admirals, and occupy the highest leadership positions.

However, studies and military reviews have periodically identified continuing disparities involving:

• Court-martial rates
• Promotion outcomes
• Representation in elite specialties
• Leadership opportunities
• Military justice outcomes

These issues remain subjects of ongoing debate and reform efforts.

Conclusion

The history of African Americans in the U.S. military is a story of contradiction.

Black Americans fought in every major U.S. war while facing segregation, discrimination, and, at times, openly racist attitudes from senior military leaders such as Marine Commandant Thomas Holcomb.

Yet through perseverance and military excellence, Black servicemen and women helped transform one of America’s most segregated institutions into one of its most integrated.

The journey from Montford Point to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs