We are gathered to commemorate the 75th
anniversary of executive orders .
9980 and 9981 which
desegregated the federal workforce and
armed services respectively . Thank you
all . Yes . Yes , that's why we're here .
Thank you all for joining us on this
momentous occasion , bringing
individuals with diverse backgrounds
together for a common purpose to
recognize the significance of these
executive orders on the impact of
diversity and inclusion and the mission
readiness . We also remember and honor
trailblazers who served in segregated
units and paved the way for total force
integration in the
official party is today's host , the
honorable Gilbert R . Cisneros Junior
undersecretary of Defense for personnel
and readiness . The honorable Kathleen
H Hicks , Deputy Secretary of
Defense General Charles Q Brown
Junior , the first African American
chief of staff of the Air Force
sergeant major of the army , Michael A
Grinton US , army Brigadier
General , Gail E , Crawford us , Air
Force Director , military justice and
discipline Air Force judge advocate
general core Dr Terry A Dickerson ,
US Coast Guard director , civil rights
Division and the first African African
American member of the Coast Guard's
senior executive service .
Ladies and gentlemen , please stand for
the arrival of the official party
presentation of colors by the military
district of Washington Armed Forces .
Honor Guard , the singing of the
national anthem by sergeant , first
class Keenan mc Arthur US Army followed
by the invocation from Reverend Diana
Bell who in addition to being the first
Department of Defense female chaplain
being commissioned over 50 years ago in
the United States Navy .
As you can see , she's donning the
uniform of the United States Coast
Guard because she was just recently
commissioned as a Coast Guard auxiliary
chaplain by the first United States
Coast Guard commandant Admiral Fagan ,
who is also here with us today .
Ladies and gentlemen , please remain
standing for the presentation of colors
by the military Department district of
Washington Armed Forces . Color Guard .
Oh , say , can you see
by the dawn's early light ?
What a proudly we at
the twilight . Last gleaming
foods but stripes and bright stars
through the last spot .
All the rhyme parts we watched
were so good . The dreaming
on the rocks .
Album's Bursty . Yeah .
Through the I thought our flag
was , oh , say ,
does that star spangled
it ? Oh ,
alright .
Would you please join me in a spirit of
prayer ? Great and loving
God . You have poured yourself into
this immense creation in which we find
ourselves . You have created us to
reflect your great diversity and called
us to live in community . You have
given us teachers to guide the way we
are to live . Together in care and
mutual respect . Even the plants teach
us that to thrive , we must care for
one another . Often it has pleased us
to disregard the worthiness of some of
our brothers and sisters using and
abusing one another rather than
embracing and honoring one another . We
gather in your presence today to
celebrate one stride forward in
following your design . Our black
sisters and brothers have suffered much
at our hands but today , we humbly
remember one occasion , 75 years ago
when as a nation , we finally
recognized and embraced them as full
coworkers in our armed forces , proven
warriors in our nation's defense . We
honor their legacy and dedication to
building and protecting this great
nation . We give thanks to you that
our president in 1948 took the
courageous step to make their full
inclusion into the armed forces . A
reality guide all of us to be
courageous in following your design of
living in full community with one
another and thereby honoring you our
great and loving God . Amen .
Ladies and gentlemen , you may be
seated . Thank you so much , Sergeant ,
first class mc Arthur for that
wonderful rendition of our national
anthem and to reverend Pullman bell for
that heartfelt invocation . We are so
blessed to have both of you here with
us today .
Today , we are honored to have a number
of special guests . Representative
Stephen Horford , chair of the
congressional black Caucus . Thank you
congressman for joining us in a special
commemoration
of equal importance . We also have the
pleasure of honoring some very , very
special guests with us here . Today on
this day , we have the distinct
privilege of recognizing exceptional
service to our nation during a time
when the armed forces were still
segregated , representing the original
Tuskegee airman and top gun winners .
We recognize the contributions of
Lieutenant Colonel Shelton Ivan Ware
and Mr William TF .
In addition , we like to recognize Mr
Doug Melville , descendant of the first
African American general officers in
the Army and Air Forces . Brigadier
General James O Davis senior and James
General James O Chappy Davis junior .
No ,
M Debian Rice Thurston , daughter of
Tuskegee airman . Colonel , retired
Price D Rice
and Mr Philip Tibbs , son of Tuskegee
airman , Howard A Tibbs
also joining us today , Lieutenant
General , retired Russell Davis , the
first and only black chief of the
National Guard Bureau
and Major General Rita Aragon , the
first general officer of the Oklahoma
Air National Guard and of Native
American ancestry .
Welcome . And thank you . In
addition to the Tuskegee airmen , we
are honored to be in the presence of
two Montford Point Marines .
These gentlemen were based in Montford
Point , North Carolina and became the
first African Americans to serve in the
United States Marine Corps .
Ladies and gentlemen , we are honored
to recognize Mr Ivor Griffin
and private first class , Claude
Leopold David .
Now I would like to also take a moment
to acknowledge in our audience today ,
our dod senior leaders , military
department , secretaries , acting
Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs ,
the honorable guy Kaya Service chiefs ,
senior enlisted personnel , federal
civilian workforce , contractors ,
community leaders , and partners ,
family and friends . Thank you for
joining us here today .
At this time , I would like to
relinquish the podium to the host for
today's ceremony . The honorable
Gilbert R . Cisneros Junior who will
provide opening remarks . Secretary
Cisneros , the floor is yours .
Good morning , everyone . It's a great
pleasure to welcome you to the 75th
anniversary commemoration of the
desegregation of the armed forces and
federal workforce by the enactment of
Executive orders . 99809981 .
Thank you all for being here today .
And I especially want to thank our
distinguished guests representing the
Montford Point Marines in Tuskegee
airmen who helped pave the way for the
armed forces integration , your
contributions to our nation and this
department will not be forgotten . And
I thank each of you on behalf of the
Department of Defense . So thank you
very much . I would also like to thank
chaplain Reverend Diana Pullman Ball
for delivering the invocation this
morning . I also want to welcome our
congressional leaders here today . Um
My friend , Congressman Stephen Horford ,
the leader of the congressional black
caucus . Thank you for joining us here
today and I would be remiss if I didn't
acknowledge Deputy Secretary hicks and
all her efforts to work on behalf of
every member of the Department of
Defense . It's with deep appreciation .
I acknowledge the diligent dod members
and committees who work behind the
scenes to plan and execute this
ceremony in honor of this momentous
occasion . And thank you to Major
Brooke Coin for serving as our master
of ceremonies . Special recognition
also goes to the Department of Defense
75th anniversary committee represented
by members from the office of Secretary
of Defense , our military departments ,
the United States Coast Guard and a
host of other DD agencies for the
collaborative efforts over the past
several months that allowed us to
gather and celebrate the desegregation
of the federal government and the armed
forces . This commemoration came to
fruition because of your tireless
dedication . So thank you all for your
efforts on July 6th or July 26th ,
1948 circumventing a resistant
Congress . President Harry S Truman
became the first commander in chief to
use his authority to enact civil rights
policy by signing executive order .
9980 and 9981 .
Executive order , 9980 mandated all
personnel actions taken by federal
appointing officers shall be based
solely on merit and fitness and such
officers are authorized and directed to
take appropriate steps to ensure that
all in such actions , there shall be no
discrimination because of race , color ,
religion or national origin . Further ,
executive order 9981 directed the
desegregation of the US military
declaring there shall be equality of
treatment and opportunity for all
personnel in the armed services without
regard to race , color , religion or
national origin . This pivotal order
also created the President's Committee
of Equality of treatment and
opportunity in the armed forces tasked
with expeditiously implementing the
President's directives today . As we
commemorate and celebrate the 75th
anniversary of these historic actions .
I want to take a moment to reflect on
the profound historic significance . 75
years ago , the armed forces and most
of the federal civilian workforce were
segregated based on race and ethnicity
under policies implemented by President
Woodrow Wilson's administration .
Despite their bravery to defend freedom
abroad . During World War , two ,
people of color and black Americans in
particular continue to endure unequal
treatment in the very nation . They
were sworn to protect President
Truman's orders proceeded to rectify
these wrongs . President Truman took
this critical step to end racial
segregation throughout the department .
But he too acknowledged that there was
still much to be done to achieve full
equality and justice for all in the
decades since the department responded
accordingly by pursuing purposeful and
evolving strategies to ensure service
members and civilians are treated with
dignity and respect and receive equal
opportunity to succeed in our
organization without equivocation . I
can say that the department's greatest
strength lies in our people . The
courageous individuals who volunteer to
serve our nation have undeniably made
us the most formidable military force
in the world . It is through their
collective efforts and sacrifices that
we maintain our position as a global
leader . I'm proud to represent this
international constellation of 3.3
million service members and dod
civilians who defend our nation every
day . And while a lot has changed since
1948 1 continent and department
is that we're only as strong and
capable as our workforce that we employ .
One of Secretary Austin's earliest
messages to the force made clear that
taking care of our people is a national
security imperative , dod strategic
advantage is overcoming this my red
global security threat facing the
United States and the diverse and
dynamic talent pool in our nation from
which it can draw given the evolving
nature of future global challenges so
too must grow and evolve to bolster the
integrated deterrent required to
overcome these challenges . This
administration has shown both in the
words and actions that dud will invest
in the greatest strategic advantage ,
thereby continuing President Truman's
legacy of equality of treatment and
opportunity for those who serve in our
country's defense . We look forward to
a special program today and now I'd
like to turn it back over to major coin
to introduce our first speaker . Thank
you very much .
Thank you uh Secretary Cisneros for um
your warm welcome and open remarks . Um
Reminding us of our purpose here today
and our individual responsibilities at
this time . I would like to take a
moment of silence as we remember those
who served in segregated units ,
persevering through some of the most
trying times of our Department of
Defense history .
Now , I will acknowledge each of our
military departments for their
contributions to the successful defense
of our nation . Paying special tribute
by highlighting some distinguished
military units by service component who
served in an all black unit or fought
for our freedom before the armed forces
were desegregated . Unit . Names are
also printed in your program book for
your convenience
in honor of the United States army ,
the 36th colored regiment ,
the 370th infantry , the black
devils . The 369th
infantry hail fighters from Harlem ,
the 100 th infantry battalion , United
States colored troops . First Rhode
Island regiment , the 51st
defense battalion ,
the 52nd defense battalion ,
anti aircraft artillery unit ,
infantry units , Calvary armor
units build artillery units ,
tanker destroyer units , the
92nd infantry division ,
the 93rd infantry division ,
the second Calvary division ,
the barrage balloon unit and the
six triple eight central directory
postal battalion
in honor of the United States Navy .
The 17th special CB
un special construction battalions ,
us S Mason US
PC . 1264
naval ordinance battalions , the
34th naval construction battalion ,
the 80th naval construction battalion
and the golden 13
in honor of the United States Air Force .
The 332nd fighter group , Tuskegee
Airmen
and the 477 bombardment group
in honor of the United States Marine
Corps . The 16 th Marine Field Depot
and the Mumper Point Marines
in honor of the United States Coast
Guard P Island Life Saving Station ,
United States Lighthouse Service us
sc Cloud and the revenue cutter
service .
The department remembers and
appreciates the sacrifices of these
units who defended America at home
and abroad . Most of these men and
women are not present with us here
today , but their courage and fortitude
will never be forgotten ,
will remember their honorable service
so that all Americans can be free .
Thank you to , to these distinguished
units and for all of our armed forces
now , it gives me great pleasure to
introduce a series of guest speakers
from our military services and
Department of Defense . Each of our
speakers will introduce the service
component to share their reflections as
it pertains to the experiences of
segregation in that service . Following
the special remarks , we will have a
musical selection by the United States
Army Brass Quintet . Our first
speaker is Doctor Terry A Dickerson .
Doctor Dickerson is a civil rights
director for the United States Coast
Guard . She is the first African
American woman to serve in the Coast
Guard's senior executive service .
Doctor Dickerson's father served in
colored segregated troops during World
war two . She comes to a civil rights
role with deep lived academic and
professional experience as a first
grader . She was among students who
desegregated Catholic schools in her
hometown of New Orleans . Please help
me welcome Dr Terry A Dickerson .
Thank you . So much and good morning ,
everyone before I start , I really must
thank and acknowledge Victoria Bowens
and her team and the joint services
working group she assembled to ensure
that this anniversary was accorded the
attention and the space and the time
and the military arrangements .
Befitting of an occurrence of this
magnitude . It has really been an honor
working with you and the working group .
I'll share to that yesterday . Just
yesterday , the Coast Guard Commandant
and Vice Commandant hosted President
Truman's grandson Clifton Truman Daniel
and he reminded our workforce that it
was reports of black military members
and veterans being mistreated and
beaten , that inspired his grandfather
to engage in civil rights reform . So
let me start by sharing a truth with
you this morning . I was not supposed
to be here today . I was not supposed
to be serving in my 23rd year as a
member of the United States
government's senior executive service .
I was not supposed to have held
successively responsible positions in
government and I was not supposed to be
at this podium . Uh Speaking to this uh
distinguished assembly and a member of
government leadership . Let me tell you
why . As Secretary Cisneros mentioned
during and after President Woodrow
Wilson's administration , many federal
government departments adopted racial
segregation policies . The preceding
years had not been segregation free .
But after 1913 , black employees in the
federal agencies could expect to work
in the segregated units , eat in
segregated dining halls and be
consigned to segregate segregated
restrooms . Indeed , when this
imposing uh structure around us , the
iconic world renowned structure that
surrounds us , the Pentagon was built ,
it was constructed with twice the
number of restrooms for a building its
size . The reason was segregation . It
needed to have two sets of restrooms ,
one for white and one for black ,
separate but equal employment wise ,
many black civil service , regardless
servants , regardless of education or
work history before the Wilson era
began to be demoted , denied promotions
fired if they held jobs . They were
predominantly clustered in low end ,
low level employment and many were
placed into all black employee units .
In 1914 , the civil service commission
created even another way to
discriminate . It ordered job that job
applicants submit a photo of themselves
with their applications so that black
people could be screened out . So me
standing here among you was never
supposed to happen . Physical
separation was destabilizing enough for
African American civil service
employees . But it also supported a
culture of exclusion being consigned to
separate areas , reinforced the idea
that they must be unfit . So the rules ,
the application filtering the
segregated facilities shifted the
manner in which black and white federal
workers interacted and defined a social
order that remained part of government
culture for decades , free and enslaved
people of African heritage had long
served in the military and government .
In spite of bans on their participation ,
military members fought in conflicts
since before the United States was
independent and free . The reason
African Americans served in early
conflicts was that the military needed
capable and experienced people .
Military commanders often had to obtain
waivers to , to the ban on black people
so that they could recruit the talent
they needed glossing over an
embarrassing period or failing to
acknowledge this history . History ,
Robs African Americans of the knowledge
that their community contributed in
foundational ways to the government and
the nation . Now , I want to talk about
the word desegregation so that we're
all on the same page because scenes of
inter racialism , meaning mixed crews
and mixed units that occurred out of
operational necessity , sometimes
created confusion about desegregation .
People see those images now of black
people serving a long , long before
1948 and asked what this observance is
all about this banning of desegregation
because they rationalize that if black
people were present weren't the
services already desegregated . Well ,
the answer is no racial segregation was
not a volunteer practice , it was an
official government policy . And as
such , it had to be officially stood
down . Those episodic incidents of
inter racialism they saw were normally
at one or two locations . And moreover ,
as soon as the operational need was met ,
those units , those crews normally
resegregated . So an official sweeping
government policy implementation takes
an official sweeping government
termination . And in this case , the
means of termination where President
Truman's executive orders , banning
segregation policies and unfair
employment practices without an
official takedown , the policies would
have continued to stand . I'd be remiss
if I didn't mention my father , a
member of the army's 92nd Buffalo
Infantry Division during World War two ,
he was among what was then called
colored troops who fought overseas for
freedoms that he could not experience
in the United States as much as other
military members . African Americans
served with honor valor and courage in
all black units , some represented here .
But their accomplishments often went
unnoted and they still could not eat ,
use restrooms , shop or even worship
freely in the American South .
President Truman signed the
desegregation orders . But think about
this , it took African American members
going into spaces and jobs and
situations that they had previously
been barred from to make desegregation
a reality . We must not forget that
what they did brought in a new era of
equality to the government , military
and the nation . My father didn't talk
a lot about his experience , but he
left a memoir and I can tell you he
would never believe that this time with
these leaders gathered in this iconic
setting in this courtyard uh on these
grounds with his service and that of
other uh colored units be noted . He
died without knowing that their
achievements would be recognized and
valued many of them posthumously . A
lot of people think that segregation
occurred all at once , but it didn't it
unfolded sector by sector military and
federal government desegregation was a
historic turning point that actually
inspired other institutions to
desegregate . Black service members
found the freedoms and acceptance they
experienced while serving overseas ,
uplifting . Many of them lived in
places for the first time where no
segregation existed . The term double V
was coined as black military members
pledged to gain victories in the war as
well as to win that experience of true
freedom for the black community in the
United States World War Two produced
veterans who went to the forefront of
the American civil rights activism ,
including Oliver Brown , who was a
plaintiff in the Brown versus Board of
Education landmark school desegregation
case . Um Also Medgar Evers who was a
key deputy to Martin Luther King . Um
National civil rights leaders like
Hosea Williams and Whitney Young and
many others . That spirit induced my
father to take my sisters and I to
desegregate Catholic schools in New
Orleans . We were among the first
Children to enter previously , all
white schools . And I asked my mother ,
why , why we had to endure the
rejection and harassment , walking
through a community and into a school
that didn't want us . I asked her why
we had to be the first . She replied
that I misunderstood the assignment .
She said we were not there to be the
first Verna Dickerson told me that we
were there to be the last .
Yes .
She said we were gonna be the last to
be segregated and the last to be
humiliated . And the last to be told
that we were less than today's
government understands our assignment .
And that is commitment to a future
where we must ensure that these forms
of exclusion and intolerance against
any group are the last . Well ,
progress has been made . But let us
also acknowledge that our journey
toward a more just society is not
complete . The population of senior
leadership and our military and
government where strategies and
policies are conceived does not match
the demographics of our nation ,
structural and cultural norms are often
cited as limiting . So we must sponsor
and support African Americans and other
minor ized individuals with genuine
advocacy , visible assignments and
networking , which are paramount to
progression to the upper and senior
ranks . At the same time , we must tell
and prepare our workforce to expect
diverse leadership who possess at
attributes that they may not have
previously encountered . And I might
say we need to know the injustices that
people faced and continue to face as a
government official . It takes courage
and accountability to want to know the
injustices faced by your workforce or
your constituents . Even if what you're
hearing is an unpleasant or
inconvenient truth or memory . If
someone suffered exclusion , I want to
know about it , it may make us feel bad ,
but that is no reason not to apply the
courage it takes to be alert and
attentive and responsive to the
unfairness faced by others .
Remembering President Truman's actions
of 75 years ago offers an opportunity
for our nation to understand the
relevance of colored troops and black
civil servants , not just to black
history , but to American history . It
symbolizes the triumph of the
collective human spirit over forces
that malign and divide . It stands as a
testament to the goal of equal rights
for all . And the occasion is as much
about the imperative of inclusion as it
is about the perniciousness of
withholding it . Today , we recollect
brave souls who ate and segregated
dining , used separate facilities ,
suffered economic inequity and still
they served , they endured the
humiliation of government sanctioned
segregation , signss and office spaces .
They drank from separate water
fountains and still they served these
characteristics by their existence .
Stamp them as being unworthy of sharing
a space and still they served .
They rose every day to do the nation's
work . Thank you .
Now it gives me great pleasure to bring
forward Brigadier General Crawford .
Born and raised in Jacksonville ,
Florida by John and Henry Crawford .
She joined the Air Force at age 19 as
an airman basic . She now serves as
director of military justice and
discipline where she supervises the
administration of military justice
throughout the Air Force and the Space
Force . Please help me welcome
Brigadier General Crawford .
Good morning
congressman , the OD leaders honored
guest . It is my greatest
honor to be here to share this space
with you and to speak with you today .
I'd like to talk briefly about three
freedoms , the freedom to live ,
the freedom to serve and what I call
the freedom to lead the
Emancipation Proclamation . And the
ratification of key amendments to the
constitution ensured the legal
protection for my enslaved ancestors
from the civil war through the civil
rights era , brave American spot on the
battlefield in the streets , in the
hallways and ultimately in the
courtrooms to ensure people who look
like me could live a life of
freedom and dignity protected by equal
rights under the law . This
I call the freedom to live , but it did
not come easily . I'd like to share a
brief story with you about my family .
Years ago , we began a search to find
our ancestral connection to our
homeland . As many of , you know ,
prior to 18 65 people of
color , enslaved people did not have
the same record keeping uh abilities or
apparatus and census taking as the
white Americans had like many
descendants of enslaved people . Our
search for our ancestors hit a brick
wall . In fact , our trail ran
cold with my paternal grandfather ,
William Crawford . My visit to a
museum in Montgomery , Alabama led us
to a shocking discovery that shed light
on this mystery . Anthony
Crawford , a black farmer in Abbeville ,
South Carolina was the descendant of a
freed slave , the patriarch of a large
multigenerational family and the owner
of 427 acres of land .
He built schools and churches . So his
Children and grandchildren could attend
freely in 1916 . After a dispute
with a white merchant over the price of
Anthony's cotton seed . Anthony was
jailed , then dragged out by an angry
white mob who beat , stabbed ,
shot and then lynched him in the town
square . His land was seized . His
businesses were shuttered and his
descendants were run out of town under
a threat that they too would be
murdered if they stayed . And so they
scattered . Two generations later , my
father and his family were
sharecroppers . Not far from Abbeville ,
South Carolina . Dad dropped out of
school in the fourth grade to help his
parents work the land so that they
could pay their debts and break free
from their debtors . As a teenager , my
father moved to Jacksonville Florida
and became a brick mason and married my
mother through hard work and
determination . He provided a life
for our family . It's hard not to
wonder what could have been had the
Crawford family been free to live
my siblings and I are so grateful as we
are the products of grave struggles
that we did not have to bear . I
wouldn't be here today were not for my
father's strength sacrifices ,
perseverance , guidance , and love .
He was my first mentor . He
realized my family's freedom to live
and now the freedom to serve . I joined
the Air Force as an airman basic just
after my 19th birthday . Although I was
a voracious reader , my first
supervisor for some reason thought that
I couldn't read . I am
grateful mostly for my second
supervisor , an amazing senior NCO
who created an , who created an
environment of dignity and respect
where I and my fellow airmen could
bring our whole selves and serve this
great nation to the best of our
potential . He taught me that the
best leaders pursue excellence and
manage talent in the pursuit of that
excellence . They take care of people
so that the people can take care of the
mission . Although there was an
executive order signed by the president
decades prior , it was that senior
NCO who realized my freedom to
serve and finally the freedom
to lead as a young captain . I
attended a gigantic NCR
general officer promotion ceremony
where I met Major General Mary Saunders .
I had never seen a black female general
officer . And so I wandered over to the
crowd that was circled around her as
she was holding court . Someone in the
crowd asked her if she had ever had a
problem as a leader because of her race
or gender without missing a beat .
She said , I've never had a problem .
Now , I've met some people and they had
a problem , but I have never had a
problem . Those words
changed my life .
I call what General Saunders said ,
the freedom to lead . I stand here
today as one of many , many firsts . My
prayer is that we will be the last of
the firsts . Our next speaker
is a soldier who is part of multiple
squads . He notes that he is a member
of the best squad in the army as he
serves with the service secretary and
the chief in the office of the sergeant
major of the army . The sergeant major
of the army says that he is in the
second best squad in the army as the
squad leader . But his favorite squad
is his family where he's Alexandra's
husband , Sofia and Isabella's dad .
Please welcome the sergeant major of
the army , Michael Riston ,
right ? Um Some people say , why are
you up here ? There's a lot of blue
behind me and I appreciate they put me
in between the two Air force . Um And I
am in the best squad , sir . I remind
them of the uh the army squad . Um And
then you gotta have , you gotta have it
enlisted . So that's if you're all
trying to figure out why I'm up here ,
that's kind of why it is . So it's
really the truth , but you'll , you'll
figure this out in a minute . Um One
more time for the Tuskegee airmen and
Munford uh Marines . Thank you .
And a special thanks . I , I think he
said it my name . What's your name ? He
says I go by point man , you know , in
the army , we like that . He's all
pointing at him . So special thanks to
you for being here as you heard . I'm a
uh you know , I'm a part of , a lot of
squads um mentioned my family . Um I
think I'm a squad leader . I'm not sure
in that one . I think my wife might be
the squad leader some days , I'm a
squad member , but we're here today .
Uh because 75 years ago , President
Truman signed EO
9980 and 9981 . That's
why I'm in the position . I am to speak
today . But my story echoes through
time . One of those stories is James
Queen . He joined the army at the end
of World War two as a smoke jumper
jumper in the famed triple nickel
battalion in army . We say
lets make sure you get the right . Um
He led 65 men in the second ranger
company against the battalion of
Chinese soldiers at hill 581 . After
suffering multiple heavy losses , the
company rec consolidated and continued
up that hill as the unit advanced .
Lieutenant Queen continued to call
accurate walking artillery fire . This
combined with the deadly violence of
the ranger assault sent the Chinese
into a panic retreat . Despite losing
half the element , the ranger company
took that hill and Lieutenant Queen was
awarded the silver star and the purple
heart . By the time he had retired in
1965 major Queen was a jump master , a
pathfinder ranger , an expert
instrument and had made a combat jump
during operation Tomahawk . His service
alone would be a legacy worth living ,
but that's not the only part of big Jim
Queens story after the army . He went
on to be in education . He was a
special education teacher , a guidance
counselor and finally an assistant
principal of HD Woodson High School
right here in DC . For an additional 20
years . He served the community by
educating today's police officers ,
teachers , coaches , and elected
officials . That's still not all of his
story throughout his life . He was
active in Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity ,
the American Legion . He was a boy
scout troop leader and attended Mount
Mariah Baptist Church with his ,
when his wife Phyllis passed away in
2000 , they were married for 52 years
and when he passed away in 2004 , he
was survived by four sons , three
daughters , 15 grandchildren and five
great grandchildren . And he and his
wife were laid to rest in Arlington
National Cemetery . There are a dozen
ways to remember James Queen
Paratrooper Ranger , teacher , father ,
scout master , community leader as easy
as it would be to put black in front of
all of those things . Nothing in his
history suggests that's what he focused
on . I think about some
of the criticism that Major Queen may
have received and I can't imagine , you
know how hard it must have been for him
to exist during that time . Maybe
because after George Floyd was murdered .
Um I shared a social media video about
my story and about what it was like
growing up biracial in 1970 in
Alabama . I thought it was important
for our soldiers to know that there ,
there is more that defines us than just
our uniform . And if we're going to
build lethal teams that are cohesive ,
we have to trust the people around us
just enough to know all their stories a
few weeks ago in an effort to
illustrate that the army may be
focusing more on DE I than it is about
war fighting . A commentator pulled
that video from three years ago . About
me when I said ,
um you know , my , my father was black
and my mom was white . He paused the
video and he said , so what it
doesn't matter , divide us ,
please is what he said when I said , I
kind of struggled my life with . What's
my identity ? What , you know , what
are you ? You know how many times I've
heard that question ? What are you ? Um
He paused it again . He said , you
don't have to struggle with that .
That's your fault .
He said , what about the army stuff ?
You're the star major of the army .
You've heard my bio , I'm a soldier , a
leader , a husband , a father . I spent
five years in combat . I've heard two
Valorous wars um in combat ,
those are the measures I want to be
judged by , but it doesn't change that
my race is a part of who I am , but
it's not all that I am . You could
reduce major queen by saying he was the
first black soldier inducted to the
Rider Hall of Fame . But I think about
all the things that he has done in his
life . We used to say all we see is
green . But if we're going to remain
the greatest army , the history in the
history of the world , we need to know
who's in our squad . We need to
leverage their individual strengths and
allow everyone to be all that they can
be . I'm Michael Grinton .
I was raised in Jasper Alabama by a
single mother . She was the hardest
working person I have ever known in my
life and she instilled that in her kids .
I'm a 36 year army veteran . I have
spent every moment of that time being
the best soldier leader I can be .
I enjoy exercising and I'm always
chasing a faster mile . I
love movie nights on Friday with my
wife and my daughters playing golf with
my friends on Saturdays . At the end of
the day , I only want to be remembered
as a warrior , a father , a son , an
American because of the executive order
we celebrate . Thank you .
And now it gives me great pride to
introduce the , the , the chief of
staff for the Air Force General Brown .
We kind of first met on TV when General
Brown and I were a part of the same CBS
morning interview . And , and since
then I guess we've been linked together
forever . So , and that's maybe why
we're sitting together and I've been
pasted right in between , but he's also
on May 25th , he's been announced to be
the next chairman of the joint chiefs
and the highest ranking officer in the ,
in the military . And it's my welcome ,
my honor to welcome General Brown , sir .
Thank you .
Well , good morning . Uh
There's a Greek Proverb which I think
is somewhat appropriate for today that
I put into my remarks . Uh , having
watched the audience out here wave
their programs . It says a , a society
grows great when all man plant trees
and whose shade they will never sit
today , we enjoy the shade made by
efforts of so many who never had a
chance to enjoy them , enjoy it
themselves . So I want to thank you for
the opportunity to appear before you
today . I'm very honored to share the
stage with these speakers , but also
very honored to see our trailblazers to
ski , the Monte Point Marines and all
those who came before us and the
shoulders that we stand on . I look
forward to uh hearing the other
speakers and listening to them . But so
thank you so much for all of you for
being here this morning , Harford .
Thank you so much for representing uh
the , the congressional black caucus
and all the Congress and being here
with us today . You know , 75 years ago ,
today , President Truman signed the
historic executive order . 9981 is the
one I focused on as a military member
and it stated there shall be equality
of treatment and opportunity for all
persons in the armed forces without
regard to race , color , religion , or
national origin . And I'll tell you
since the beginning of this year ,
knowing that this historic day was
gonna come , I spent quite a bit of
time reflecting on this executive order .
I'd also like to note today is also the
75th anniversary of the executive order
of 9980 , prohibiting discrimination in
federal employment . And this year also
marks the 70th 75 years since the
signing , the Women's Armed Services
Integration Act . All three of these
acts share a common goal , unifying
thread . And when I think about each
one word that comes to mind ,
opportunity , our military is the
greatest in history and the most
respected in the world . And because of
the tree that President Truman planted
in 1948 our nation is even stronger
today than it was yesterday . He
planted the seeds of a military that
provides opportunity regardless of race ,
color , religion or national origin .
In the shade of this tree . You are
judged solely by your accomplishments .
Here being the best qualified is the
one standard by which you ascend . This
is our promise to every uniformed
member and every dod civilian committed
to the mission to support and defend
the Constitution of the United States .
Be the shade of these branches . You
will never be advantaged are
disadvantaged because of your
background , United States Armed Forces
and our department of Defense remain
the best in the world because the only
mention of these lenses , race , color ,
religion or national origin is to
express that opportunity not be impeded
with this great gift comes , great
responsibility was built upon the
legacy that we've been given and make
full use of all it has to offer . You
must be leaders , coaches , mentors to
every member of our team and give them
all the opportunity to reach their full
potential . Anything less is a waste of
this gift . Executive orders
99819980 , and the Women's Armed
Service Integration Act , former Grover
Trees and in the shade of this growth ,
all are provided for opportunity no
matter their background and the best
qualified can raise to the next level .
The trees that President Truman plant
with his signature in 1948 or not ,
ours . We must nurture them , care
for them and ensure every future
American may enjoy their shave . We
must inspire the next generation of
leaders . Our example of leadership can
plant the next tree for the next
generation of leaders . I thank all of
you for your extraordinary efforts ,
for the amazing things you do every day
and the things you will continue to do
and helping to keep these trees alive
today and for the next 25 years . Thank
you for the opportunity to spend time
with you today .
I'm now uh pleased to introduce Major
West Clark who read a statement from
our Secretary of Defense , the
honorable Lloyd J . Ausin , the third
Secretary of Defense Austin served in
the US Army for 41 years and over the
past two years , he served as our 28th
Secretary of Defense , Major Clark
worked on immediate staff of the
Secretary of Defense before assuming
his current role as a strategic planner
to the Secretary Army . Please welcome
Major West Clark .
Ladies and gentlemen , on behalf of the
Secretary Austin 75 years ago today ,
President Truman ordered the
desegregation of us armed forces and a
civilian workforce across the US
government . That historic step made
the US military stronger and made
America better for far too much of our
nation's history . Service members of
color who fought to defend our country
were forced to serve in segregated
units . Black troops were denied the
very rights that they fought to defend
despite this bitter heritage ,
segregated units demonstrated their
skill and metal war after war during
World War II alone , more than 1
million black Americans served bravely
to defeat fascism after the defeat of
Nazi Germany in world war two ,
President Truman rightly declared the
only limit to an American's achievement
should be his ability , his industry
and his character . On July 26th ,
1948 President Truman issued two
executive orders to enshrine that
deeply American principle , mandating
equality of treatment and opportunity
for all persons in the armed services
without regard to race , color ,
religion , or national origin . The end
of segregation throughout the
Department of Defense was a major step
towards fulfilling Americans , founding
promises of liberty and equality under
law . Since then , our extraordinary
military and our dedicated civilian
workforce have welcomed qualified
patriots from all racial backgrounds to
defend our country and serve alongside
one another today . Some
44% of our active duty , all volunteer
force are Americans of color . The US
military is the finest fighting force
on earth . Because of our strategic
advantages , we can draw on the talents
and strength of skilled and brave
Americans of every color , creed and
background . As we reflect on the
tremendous progress that our country
has made over the past 75 years , we
recommit ourselves to continue the
noble work of all those who broke down
barriers , fought prejudice and worked
to ensure America's purest military
embodies the democratic ideals that is
so proudly defenses . I now have the
distinct honor to introduce a
Trailblazer in her own right . The
honorable Kathleen Hicks who served in
the Department of Defense for more than
20 years . And currently our deputy
secretary of Defense madam secretary ,
the floor is now yours .
All right , good morning . And let me
pass along my thanks as well to uh not
only everyone who put this together and
the great speakers that we've had , but
also all of you who came out today to
commemorate . Thank you for spending
the time with us since the forming of
this nation , service members and
civilians of all races , colors and
creeds have advanced and defended our
freedoms here at home and abroad . And
they've demonstrated extraordinary
bravery and expertise during times of
conflict and peace ending segregation
in the armed forces and the federal
workforce were historic steps for the
Department of Defense . President
Truman's Executive Orders created the
opportunity to grow the largest and
most diverse military and civilian
workforce in the world . Since then ,
service members of color have risen
through the ranks , commanding
destroyer squadrons and submarines at
sea , launching to space and returning
back home again , breaking the glass
ceiling and leading as four star
generals and admirals and representing
the United States of America overseas .
No one better personifies this progress
than Secretary Austin and I'm grateful
we were able to hear his remarks on
this important day . President Truman's
actions also created progress . Well ,
beyond this department , any legal or
moral justification for segregation
crumbled in the wake of it in the
decades that followed segregation in
the nation's public schools and public
spaces also came to an end . These
decisions moved the entire nation
closer to the promise of racial
equality . But there is more work to
advance this progress that we
rightfully celebrate today . That's why
the department is proudly carrying the
torture freedom handed down to it from
prior generations by building the best
all volunteer fighting force in the
world by recruiting , training and
retaining a civilian workforce that
reflects all the talents this country
has to offer and by expanding
opportunity so that aspiring soldiers ,
sailors and marines , airmen and
guardians , engineers and scientists ,
policy analysts , and financial
managers , and all those in between who
wish to serve this nation can pursue
their dream without barriers and
without limits . Thank you once again
to our speakers and please join me in
one more round of applause for our
distinguished guests who fought so hard
for so long to advance the causes of
justice , dignity and freedom .
Now , we will have a musical selection
by the United States army band brass
quintet .
We leave tomorrow to
Yeah . And I had to start with
just my family by my side . I
thank my luck star to be
living here today because the flag
still stands for freedom and they can
take mhm
I'm proud to be an American . We at
least on one free and I , I
forget the ones who died who gave that
right to me . And I gladly stand up
next to you and defend her still today
cause there ain't no doubt I love this
life and God bless the
from the lakes of Minnesota to the
hills of Tennessee , across the
plains of Texas . From sea to shining
sea , from Detroit down to
Houston and in New York to
LA . Yeah , there's pride in every
American heart and it's time we stand
and say ,
but I'm proud to be an American where
at least I know I'm free . I won't
forget the ones who died who gave that
right to me . And I gladly stand
next to you and defend her still
today cause there ain't no doubt I
love this a lot and God bless
the USA
bye
that next to you and
defend her still today cause there
ain't no doubt . I love his life .
I saw .
Wow , that was amazing . Thank you to
all of our service speakers for those
meaningful messages , messages of
bravery , courage , resilience ,
personal stories , and other accounts
of segregation stories that continue to
inform our leaders today and into the
army band brad content , an exhibit of
your time and talent . Thank you
on behalf of the Department of Defense .
Thank you all for attending today's
ceremony Commemorating the 75th
anniversary of Executive Orders 9980
and 9981 and above all for your
support of our National Defense . We
are grateful to all of you all the
individuals who served faithfully to
promote the mission readiness to
eradicate inequality , to eradicate
discrimination . This concludes today's
ceremony for those of you who are
guests of the Department of Defense
escorts with red badges are standing by
to guide you as you exit the building .
Ladies and gentlemen , please stand for
the departure of the official party .