AFRICAN AMERICANS IN WORLD WAR II RED BALL EXPRESS "TEAMWORK" FILM 53254
Вставка
- Опубліковано 14 бер 2017
- An underappreciated sequel of sorts to the film "The Negro Soldier", “Teamwork” is a US War Department black-and-white training film directed at African Americans on the subject of team work. The film's production history is chronicled in the book "Making Movies Black" by Thomas Cripps, "Teamwork" was almost not made, as the Army by 1944 viewed such films as superfluous. Fortunately for filmmaker Carlton Moss, General Lyman Munson, Anatol Litvak and Frank Capra saw things differently. The result is a film that as Cripps states, "set a black agenda in that it literally promised African Americans an enhanced status in the postwar world in return for their service during the war."
Produced by the US Army Signal Corps during World War II, the unclassified picture shows images of a Nazi arsenal at mark 00:43 as the narrator explains how it once held the most powerful weapons the Germans had. “This building held an arsenal of words,” he says. The film then shows the Nazi propaganda machine at work as recordings are made and newspapers are printed to promote the Nazi message. Through re-enactments we watch German officers promote the message of “divide and conquer” (mark 01:19) as he describes the United States as a “mongrel nation” that pits people of different religious beliefs and ethnicities against each other. “And if this mongrel American army dare to attack the sacred shores of the fortress Europe you will see chaos in their ranks,” says the faux officer. What follows is a montage of scenes as US ships hurl bombs inland and landing crafts open to release countless soldiers, no matter of their background or beliefs. “The all hit the same beach under enemy fire,” says the narrator. They did it by using teamwork. And when the Germans cut off supply lines, Americans used teamwork to get supplies and ammunition to the troops (mark 04:55). Engineers of different colors are shown stringing communication lines, preparing airfields, and creating roads where none had existed so troops could get to the next battle. “They were busy hating Germans, not each other.” Thanks to teamwork, soldiers roll through Normandy in 1944 at mark 08:46 and closed in on Paris courtesy of the Red Ball Express (mark 09:15), a famed truck convoy system that supplied Allied forces moving quickly through Europe after breaking out from the D-Day beaches. Major General E.S. Hughes (General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s "right-hand man" during the entire European campaign) addresses troops at mark 10:06 to extend Ike’s gratitude as we see more scenes of men working together, this time as part of a bombing mission. Working together, Americans were able to “fashion a tomb for the idea of a master race” as Germans officers are shown signing surrender papers at mark 14:54. The narrator says at the end that Americans know prejudice exists, but that during war they put aside those differences and worked together as we see scenes of men and women of different colors marching in unison and receiving commendations - including Sgt. Joe Louis (mark 15:30), former heavyweight champion.
Carlton Moss (February 14, 1909 in Newark, New Jersey - August 10, 1997) was an African-American screenwriter, actor and film director. Moss directed the documentary Frederick Douglass: The House on Cedar Hill.
We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example: "01:00:12:00 -- President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference."
This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit www.PeriscopeFilm.com
The sacrifices of these black men makes my problems seem small. I'm black and benefit daily from thier often unrewarded sacrifices. Today things are better for all because of those men. I'm grateful to be american.🇺🇸
My dad was in the 8th AF, 453rd BG in B-24s. He claimed his life was saved by the Red Tails (that's what they were called....the "Tuskegee Airmen" is a relatively recent term). His compliment as a fellow pilot was "Could they ever FLY!" They were all college graduates, well-spoke. He recalled they spoke "jive talk" over the radio during combat since they knew the Nazis were listening in, just to aggravate them. He also recalled they would get on the radio and talk to each other. If their mess hall was serving something really good, they would let the Red Tails know, so they could have "engine trouble" and land at their bomber base. Once landed, they couldn't buy a drink at the Officer's Club since the bomber crews would buy them drinks out of appreciation.
As they were mustering out at war's end, he went to the mess hall and spotted a few of the Red Tails. They sat and ate together, reliving memories until some moron came up and said "You guys are eating with N*****S!" At that they all rose up as one and went to another table, away from the idiot.
Very poignant that the Red Tails fought in the air against fascism, and on the ground against prejudice.
My great-uncle was a Mess Steward and he was at Pearl Harbor. When his enlistment was up and the Corps began accepting Black men, he joined. He saw action in the PTO. But when he returned to Alabama he STILL couldn't eat in certain restaurants, sit in the back of the bus, defer to the will of White citizens, couldn't use the same bathrooms and water fountains, etc. Fought for the "freedom" and "liberty" of others but treated like some alien from Mars when he came home. Same thing with his younger brother who was a combat engineer in the Korean War. I served in the Navy but thank God I was able to CHOOSE my RATE! This nation thinks because of "Obama" its all good, N.O.P.E.
Check out "The battle of Bamber Bridge"
I'm A World War II 'Historian" and, This Is The BEST WW2, African American Film Representation That I've Seen.
Too bad such a large portion of the U.S. population took another 20 yrs or so just to BEGIN to appreciate the dignity and rights of African Americans in this country.
mercoid
And Margaret Sanger was just getting started on her plan to exterminate the black population, calling them "Weeds."
Source please
They may have watched this film, but many GIs still treated Black soldiers like crap. They were mostly used as pack animals or loaders/unloaders. It must have been hard to have some hic talk to you like you were stupid, when many Blacks simply couldn't get into good schools, so they couldn't be Officers.
Good film- TY.
It seems so difficult to find detailed information about Black's in World War 2 service
Unfortunately until recently Brother, it's been purposefully hidden from the American public. I found this by accident! Thank God for the internet and whoever uploaded this . Thanks for your service.
Glinkling Smearnops HEY! I would LOVE to see links where you got this info if you remember! I need it!
Look up Patton's Panthers (a book) about the 761st.
The Redtails were the escorts that stopped bombers getting shot down.
Just think of the up and coming U.S.S. Doris Miller.
Good to know
I've just read the book "The Invisible Soldier" which details the recollections of black soldiers in WW2. Their stories show that often the white American soldier was a bigger threat than any German. Treated as second class citizens, even in uniform, they experienced vicious racism across American training camps. The views of the German at the start of this is an accurate reflection of white Americans in the armed services. It is a credit to the black serviceman that they performed as they did in spite of this treatment. As an example - German POW's being entertained in restaurants by US troops that black soldiers were not allowed entry into and were made to go to 'coloured' only places to get food.
A true propaganda film. If only it were really like that with both blacks and whites learning to appreciate their common values more than their differences.
This is definitely NOT a propaganda film. I am 65 years old. Born 8 years after WWII. I grew up surrounded by white hero patriots who fought in WWII. My Dad was in all 5 major campaigns of the European theater. He began flying missions, dropping paratroopers over Cherbourg peninsula, the night before the D-Day landing. He had his 21st birthday after the war in Europe was over and he was back in the US on his way to die in Japan. The atomic bomb stopped that from happening. He was in the 434th Troop Transport Squadron in Europe, Ninth Air Force. Dropped 101st Airborne on places like St. Mer Eglise, etc, during D-Day invasion. Has all the documents hanging on the wall to prove his role in WWII, and all the PTSD for almost 70 years after the war to prove he was legit. Because he was in supply, when he was not flying missions he was on the ground doing ground based combat operations. I could fight a hundred wars and never be half the man my dad was. How he lived through all that is a miracle. I wish you could have known my Dad. Nearly everybody around him died, including most of his boyhood friends from our small hometown. He was the one who told me over and over about the "Redball Express." That was the GI's word for it during the war. He said those black soldiers had balls like elephants. Every white soldier in the European theater depended on them every moment of every day to make the war machine work and keep them alive. Driving toward Paris in unarmored trucks full of 5 gallon gasoline cans, loaded with live ammunition, full of explosives, and everything needed by the soldiers at the front. Bringing back trucks full of the bodies of dead American soldiers, by the thousands. Captain Lew Evans of Bedford talked about the funerals for those truck loads of dead Americans. The men of the Redball Express did their job 24 hours a day, totally exposed to attack, their lives always at risk, and they did not falter. My dad took off and landed on those portable runways laid down by the black engineers, sometimes helping them as they laid them down. He was often on the ground coordinating supply with them. They were one team. He told me that.
Knowing what I know first hand from the men who fought that war, and from what I heard from my dad, a southern white man descended from the Irish, it angers me greatly that you would call this a propaganda film. Many of the men I grew up around may have had a race thing going when they went to war, but those who fought in Europe were not racists when they came back. The southern white veterans I knew, and there were a ton of them, all held the American black soldier, the men of the Redball Express, the engineers, support and supply, and the other black soldiers in the highest regard. My white dad lived to tell about all of this partly because "Negro" soldiers of the Redball Express did their job. You are not in combat very long before you stop seeing color. You only see American.
This was NOT a propaganda film. It was the truth. My dad was was disgusted with how the role of the American "Negro" soldier in World War II was totally disregarded by the country as a whole. It was in no history books, no school books, and no documentaries that were commonly available in the 50s and 60s. And except for parades, even white soldiers were pretty much disregarded when they returned from the war because there were so many of them. The country back home was still racist. But for the men I knew, the men who went to war separately, black and white, and were thrown into the war together, came back different. Some may have been racist when they went to war, but when they came back they were not. At least not the white men I knew. But they had no voice either. That is part of the reason that the truth about the Redball Express never got out. The fact that is is largely overlooked and unknown is a disgrace.
Naw...Its propaganda...We ALL are one on the battlefield...But return to segregation when our toes touch US soil
@@garya883 Yes, it was the beginning of change of the nation of civil rights after WW II and President Harry Truman signing executive order July 26, 1948, thanks for your father service and may he rest in Peace I wish I could have met him I'm Iraqi freedom veteran who just happen to be black.