Forgotten

The Untold Story of D-day's Black Heroes, at Home and at War

By: Linda Hervieux

Narrated by: Ron Butler

The injustices of 1940s Jim Crow America are brought to life in this extraordinary blend of military and social history, an account that pays tribute to the valor of an all-black battalion whose crucial contributions at D-day have gone unrecognized to this day.

In the early hours of June 6, 1944, the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion, a unit of African American soldiers, landed on the beaches of France. Their orders were to man a curtain of armed balloons meant to deter enemy aircraft. One member of the 320th would be nominated for the Medal of Honor, an award he would never receive because the nation's highest decoration was not given to black soldiers in World War II.

Drawing on newly uncovered military records and dozens of original interviews with surviving members of the 320th and their families, Linda Hervieux tells the story of these heroic men charged with an extraordinary mission, whose contributions to one of the most celebrated events in modern history have been overlooked. Thousands of African Americans were sent abroad to fight for liberties denied them at home, including these members of the 320th: Wilson Monk, a jack-of-all-trades from Atlantic City; Henry Parham, the son of sharecroppers from rural Virginia; William Dabney, an eager 17-year-old from Roanoke, Virginia; and Samuel Mattison, a charming romantic from Columbus, Ohio. In Europe these soldiers discovered freedom they had not known in a homeland that treated them as second-class citizens - experiences they carried back to America, fueling the budding Civil Rights Movement. In telling the story of the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion, Hervieux offers a vivid account of the tension between racial politics and national service in wartime America and a moving narrative of human bravery and perseverance in the face of injustice.

©2015 Linda Hervieux (P)2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

know our history

I cannot recommend this book enough. Very well written and researched.. We must know the truth about our collective national past in order to properly assess the present and set a just course for the future.

Unforgettable

It is impossible to read this book without feeling frustration and anger about the way those with dark skin were treated, especially during WWII. Not everyone was socially blind, and the people whose eyes were opened and who did things right from the beginning were uplifting. The lack of bitterness among the people who were ill-treated is inspiring. This book was so good, I am purchasing a hard-cover paper copy for my library.

important read

The detail was almost too much but it was helpful to understand the stories. it is still hard to hear about the indignities we suffer over and over in this country but I am so glad the history is preserved.

Black people during WWII.

This should be taught in US History in American high schools. Besides being quite entertaining, it also exploree racism in the US during WWII and other times.

Unforgettable and yet unforgivable .

This country has come soo very far , yet has soo very far to go . The fact that other countries have achieved more than we have in specific areas of social conscience gives me hope that eventually we can achieve the same .

Piece of History that was never told

I like that these veterans were finally recognized on behalf of their fellow veterans and they lived to tell the tale.

An enjoyable treatment of an unpleasant topic that needed more coverage

The choice of story lines and the use of carefully considered language combine to make an interesting and easily appreciated course through what must be new terrain for most of us. What it lacks as a page-turner it makes up for with heart-felt vignettes that tie back to complete some of the life stories of the forgotten.

A Sad Tale of the ongoing discrimination US hist.

A sad and both uplifting tale of Black GIs in WWII. We still have a long way to go as a nation.

The stories of racism need to be told to everyone

The story of racism, segregation and discrimination was very informative

the message seemed to be lost and diluted at times with history of balloons in war and the detail of the troop hauling ship. both parts of the story drag on and have their place in history, but have little to add to the story of forgotten African American soldiers.

A must-read/listen to understand today's racial conflicts

Most Americans, like myself, are woefully ignorant of the history that the modern African American culture has arisen from. Listen to this, and understand the bitterness that we as Americans need to acknowledge and heal.