Poster showing American soldiers in a trench, including several African Americans.
Description:
News Photo Poster No. 1, issued for Maine Committee on Public Safety, Blaine Mansion, Augusta, Maine. and Text continues: In the trenches behind the lines in France.
Publisher:
Illustrated Current News,
Subject (Name):
United States.--Army--Recruiting, enlistment, etc.--World War, 1914-1918.
Subject (Topic):
African American soldiers--Pictorial works. and World War, 1914-1918--United States.
Ephemera includes: a newspaper article about the 477th Bombardment Group's ground crews, featuring Melvin C. Robinson and with an image of Robinson instructing pilots and crews during a daily intelligence briefing; a typed extract of special orders given to Robinson on December 2, 1943; a letter to Army Air Force veterans from Brigadier General Richard C. Sanders, circa 1945, offering the service of personal affairs officers to Black veterans who were prohibited from accessing Air Force facilities and services due to segregation laws; two copies of "Obsequies of Mr. Melvin C. Robinson", held at Pilgrim Baptist Church, Omaha, Nebraska on August 10, 1982; and a certificate of thanks issued to Edna L. Robinson by the Pilgrim Baptist Church on May 14, 1983., Photograph album containing 122 photographs by unidentified photographers and six pieces of ephemera compiled by Melvin Charles Robinson and his wife Edna L. Robinson, 1943-1983. The photographs depict the work and recreational activities of the 477th Bombardment Group, later the 477th Composite Group after it incorporated the 99th Fighter Squadron, of the United States Army Air Forces at Freeman Field (Indiana), Godman Field (Kentucky), Selfridge Air National Guard Base (Michigan), and Walterboro Army Air Field (South Carolina), circa 1943-1945. Affixed to the front cover of the album is a hand painted panel with the album's title and the insignia of the 477th Bombardment Group., and Photographs of scenes of work include: soldiers in parade formation being reviewed by General Benjamin O. Davis; B-25 Mitchell bombers and P-47 Thunderbolt fighters on the ground and in formation flight; pilots, flight crews, bombardiers, aerial gunners, and armorers undergoing training, performing maintenance, and conducting pre-flight checks; airmen giving and attending intelligence briefings; military police officers; crash crews responding to an event; radio operators; a dispensary; a truck convoy; and color guards. Photographs also depict: scenes of press and Army Air Force officials in front of a hangar on June 21, 1945; Truman K. Gibson, lawyer and Chief Civilian Advisor to the Secretary of War, with two unidentified men, 1945; a group portrait of discharged men and women; and portraits of Robinson alone and with fellow soldiers. Photographs of scenes of recreation include: troops socializing; an officers' dance; athletic competitions, including a track meet, a tennis match, and basketball and softball games; boxing, including exhibition matches with Joe Louis at Godman Field; and United Service Organizations (USO) performers, including Lena Horne, King Cole Trio, Louis Armstrong and the Louis Armstrong Orchestra, and Horace Henderson and the Horace Henderson Orchestra. Also includes aerial photographs of: B-25 Mitchell bombers in formation flight; a flooded landscape in an unidentified location; and a view of Freeman Field, Indiana.
Description:
Captions and ephemera in English., Captions in the negatives., Melvin Charles Robinson (1917-1982) was an African American man who was born in Georgetown, Texas. He settled in Omaha, Nebraska in 1941, and married Edna L. Sawyer in 1956. Robinson joined the United States Army in 1941, trained at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama as a crewman, and was assigned to the 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) in 1944. Robinson also worked for the Union Pacific Railroad from 1941 until his retirement in 1979, and owned and operated Robinson's Florist in Omaha with his wife Edna from 1962 to 1978., Place and date of creation from captions., Purchased from William Reese Co. on the James Weldon Johnson Memorial Collection of Negro Arts & Letters Fund, 2018., The 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) of the United States Army Air Force was an African American combat unit first activated from May 13-August 25, 1943. The unit was activated again on January 15, 1944 and trained with Mitchell B-25 bombers in order to allow African American soldiers to serve on bomber crews. The group trained at Selfridge Field, later Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan; Godman Field, Kentucky; Freeman Field, Indiana; and again at Godman Field. The 477th endured racial discrimination from surrounding communities in Kentucky and Indiana, and on base from the commanders of the 477th and the First Air Force. In 1945 more than 100 officers of the 477th engaged in an act of collective resistance that came to be known as the Freeman Field Mutiny. The events eventually led to a change of command for the 477th and it was moved back to Godman Field, this time under a Black commander, Colonel (later General) Benjamin O. Davis. The 477th Bomber Group was redesignated the 477th Composite Group after the 99th Fighter Squadron, another African American combat unit, was incorporated into it in 1945., and Title from cover.
Subject (Geographic):
Freeman Field (Ind.)--Pictorial works., Godman Field (Ky.)--Pictorial works., Indiana--Pictorial works., Kentucky--Pictorial works., Michigan--Pictorial works., Omaha (Neb.), Selfridge Air National Guard Base (Mich.)--Pictorial works., South Carolina--Pictorial works., and Walterboro Army Air Field (S.C.)--Pictorial works.
Subject (Name):
Armstrong, Louis,--1901-1971--Portraits., Davis, Benjamin O.,--Jr.,--1912-2002--Portraits., Gibson, Truman K.--(Truman Kella),--1912-2005--Portraits., Henderson, Horace--Portraits., Horace Henderson Orchestra--Pictorial works., Horne, Lena--Portraits., King Cole Trio--Pictorial works., Louis Armstrong Orchestra--Pictorial works., Louis, Joe,--1914-1981--Portraits., Pilgrim Baptist Church (Omaha, Neb.), Robinson, Edna L., Robinson, Edna L., compiler., Robinson, Melvin Charles., Robinson, Melvin Charles--Portraits., Sanders, Richard C.,--1915-1976., United Service Organizations (U.S.)--Pictorial works., United States.--Armed Forces--African American officers--Pictorial works., United States.--Armed Forces--African American officers--Portraits., United States.--Armed Forces--African American troops--Pictorial works., United States.--Armed Forces--African American troops--Portraits., United States.--Armed Forces--African Americans--Pictorial works., United States.--Armed Forces--African Americans--Portraits., United States.--Armed Forces--Airmen--Pictorial works., United States.--Armed Forces--Airmen--Portraits., United States.--Armed Forces--Officers--Pictorial works., United States.--Armed Forces--Officers--Portraits., United States.--Armed Forces--Pictorial works., United States.--Armed Forces--Portraits., United States.--Armed Forces--Women--Pictorial works., United States.--Armed Forces--Women--Portraits., United States.--Army Air Forces.--Bombardment Group, 477th--Pictorial works., United States.--Army Air Forces.--Composite Group, 477th--Pictorial works., United States.--Army Air Forces.--Fighter Squadron, 99th--Pictorial works., United States.--Army Air Forces--Airmen--Pictorial works., United States.--Army Air Forces--Airmen--Portraits., and United States.--Army Air Forces--Pictorial works.
Subject (Topic):
Aeronautics--Pictorial works, African American air pilots--Pictorial works., African American air pilots--Portraits., African American men--Pictorial works., African American men--Portraits., African American soldiers--Pictorial works., African American soldiers--Portraits., African American women--Portraits., African Americans in aeronautics--Pictorial works., African Americans in aeronautics--Portraits., African Americans--Segregation, Air bases, American--Pictorial works., Air pilots--United States--Portraits., Airplanes--Pictorial works, Armorers--United States--Portraits., Bombardiers--United States--Portraits., Bombers--United States--Pictorial works., Boxers (Sports)--Kentucky--Portraits., Boxing matches--Kentucky--Pictorial works., Boxing--Kentucky--Pictorial works., Color guards--United States--Pictorial works., Discrimination in the military--United States., Fighter planes--United States--Pictorial works., Flight crews--United States--Portraits., Formation flying--United States--Pictorial works., Military police--United States--Portraits., Mitchell (Bomber)--Pictorial works., Race discrimination--United States, Soldiers--Recreation--Pictorial works., Thunderbolt (Fighter plane)--Pictorial works., World War, 1939-1945--Aerial operations, American--Pictorial works, and World War, 1939-1945--Participation, African American--Pictorial works.
