"We cannot let this history die, nor can we let it fade away. As it has filled me with pride and given me understanding of one group of outstanding soldiers, so it should be passed on to all Americans to appreciate and honor" (from the introduction by coauthor and unit historian Bill Miles)
The Harlem Hellfighters: When Pride Met Courage
is a portrait of bravery and honor. With compelling narrative and never-before-published photographs, this 160-page highly illustrated narrative nonfiction book introduces the unsung American heroes of the 369th Infantry Regiment, the Harlem Hellfighters.
A good choice for book reports and other research by middle grade students—as well as for parents and teachers to share with young people interested in World War II and African American history.
At a time of widespread bigotry and racism, the African American soldiers of the 369th Infantry Regiment put their lives on the line in the name of democracy.
Bill Miles wrote: "The 369th was not
only an outstanding military unit; it also represented a part of the history of
my Harlem community and, as such, part of my history as well. As I learned the
story of the regiment—how it was first formed, its glorious record in World War
I—I knew I was discovering a hidden history of African American
accomplishments."
He continued: "As unit historian I recognize that
the documentation of the 369th is as vital to understanding the African
American experience as any story about slavery or the civil rights movement.
For in the story of the 369th—in the trenches of France, in the battles of
Meuse-Argonne, and at the bloody siege of Sechault—we have African Americans
defining their own characters with courage and determination, writing their own
history in sweat and blood."