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St. Paul Recorder
Saint Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota
What is this article about?
NAACP urges President Roosevelt to award Distinguished Service Cross to D.S. Cross, a Black Navy mess attendant who heroically manned a machine gun during the Pearl Harbor attack, highlighting discriminatory policies limiting Black sailors' roles and training.
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NAACP ASKS DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS FOR COLORED HERO AT PEARL HARBOR
New York—Declaring that the heroism of the colored mess attendant who manned a machine gun against Japanese planes at Pearl Harbor merits special attention, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People submitted to President Roosevelt last week a suggestion that the attendant be given the distinguished service cross "or some other official recognition."
The NAACP pointed out that his heroism is especially noteworthy in view of the fact that Negro volunteers are accepted only as mess attendants by the U. S. Navy and given no training as gunners or anything else.
The account of the colored man's heroism first appeared in an official report which directly quoted a commanding naval officer. The report did not name the man, nor did it say whether he survived or went down with the ship. If he did not survive, the NAACP has suggested that honors be accorded him posthumously.
Because of the Navy's jim-crow policy, the NAACP said this volunteer and other Negroes "go into situations of extreme danger in a far more vulnerable manner because they have been denied the opportunity to learn how to operate guns and other weapons of defense and offense."
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Domestic News Details
Primary Location
New York
Event Date
Last Week
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Outcome
the report did not say whether he survived or went down with the ship. if he did not survive, the naacp has suggested that honors be accorded him posthumously.
Event Details
Declaring that the heroism of the colored mess attendant who manned a machine gun against Japanese planes at Pearl Harbor merits special attention, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People submitted to President Roosevelt last week a suggestion that the attendant be given the distinguished service cross or some other official recognition. The NAACP pointed out that his heroism is especially noteworthy in view of the fact that Negro volunteers are accepted only as mess attendants by the U. S. Navy and given no training as gunners or anything else. The account of the colored man's heroism first appeared in an official report which directly quoted a commanding naval officer. The report did not name the man, nor did it say whether he survived or went down with the ship. Because of the Navy's jim-crow policy, the NAACP said this volunteer and other Negroes go into situations of extreme danger in a far more vulnerable manner because they have been denied the opportunity to learn how to operate guns and other weapons of defense and offense.