WEBVTT

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So I , uh , uh , we , when we go

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through the conversation and you tell

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me you're the only African American in

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your Army War college class and , you

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know , you're related . Um , a sense of

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responsibility , I think , as being the

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single one in that class and carrying

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the weight for other talented African

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American officers and soldiers and ,

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and you did this , um , you know , as

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you went through and became more and

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more senior , you became that focal

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point and you gave hope to others that

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they could follow you . Well ,

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uh , you know , one of my classmates

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said to me one day , you know , we all

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wore name tags at the War College . He

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said , Art , you don't have to wear a

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name tag . Uh , and , and he said it

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with , with the right spirit . Um , I'm

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happy to report though . That

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In 1972 . As a

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brigadier general selectee . I served

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on the senior service schools selection

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board . And and that year ,

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We selected 17 African Americans .

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To attend the senior service schools ,

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not all the War College , um ,

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and , uh . Hadn't

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And , and I'd , I'd looked at the files

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of , of , of everyone we selected .

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And Uh , you take race

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off the files and you could not tell

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the difference between all of the folks

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that we selected , see , and , and one

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other thing . It was so

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gratifying to look through . The

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profile of a major portion of our then

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serving lieutenant colonels .

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Who are candidates for the War College

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and to gain an appreciation for the

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quality we have , it's amazing , uh ,

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that the quality we have in our service

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and you wonder how we develop such

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quality , but um .

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Our families Our school systems and

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our military . Provides an environment

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that we can produce . A quality of

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person and person . This is very

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gratifying .