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Willy F. James Jr.
Willy F. James Jr. (March 18, 1920 – April 8, 1945) was a United States Army private first class who was killed in action while running to the aid of his wounded platoon leader during World War II. In 1997, he was awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration for valor, for his actions on April 7, 1945, in the vicinity of Lippoldsberg, Germany. James and six other African Americans, Black Americans who served in World War II were awarded the Medal of Honor on January 12, 1997. The Medal of Honor was posthumously presented to James by President of the United States, President Bill Clinton on January 13, 1997, during a Medals of Honor ceremony for the seven recipients at the White House in Washington, D.C. The seven recipients are the first and only Black Americans to be awarded the Medal of Honor for World War II. Biography Willy James was born on March 18, 1920, in Kansas City, Missouri. James enlisted in the U.S. Army on September 11, 1942. In April 19 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Netherlands American Cemetery
Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial () is a Second World War military war grave cemetery, located in the village of Margraten, east of Maastricht, in the most southern part of the Netherlands. The cemetery, the only American one in the Netherlands and dedicated in 1960, contains a constantly varying number above 8,000 American war dead and covers . It is administered by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC). History The cemetery was created in November 1944 under the leadership of Lt. Col. Joseph Shomon of the 611th Graves Registration Company, as the Ninth United States Army pushed into the Netherlands from France and Belgium. As the war was coming to an end, it was expected that the cemetery would have to be built twice in the following years: first to accommodate what would become more than 20,000 dead of the last months of the conflict, including enemy dead, then to what would become a reduced population of 8,000 as other permanent cemeteries were opened, b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
African Americans
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. African Americans constitute the second largest ethno-racial group in the U.S. after White Americans. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of Africans enslaved in the United States. In 2023, an estimated 48.3 million people self-identified as Black, making up 14.4% of the country’s population. This marks a 33% increase since 2000, when there were 36.2 million Black people living in the U.S. African-American history began in the 16th century, with Africans being sold to European slave traders and transported across the Atlantic to the Western Hemisphere. They were sold as slaves to European colonists and put to work on plantations, particularly in the southern colonies. A few were able to achieve freedom th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Good Conduct Medal (United States)
The Good Conduct Medal is one of the oldest Awards and decorations of the United States military, military awards of the United States Armed Forces. The U.S. Navy's variant of the Good Conduct Medal was established in 1869, the Marine Corps version in 1896, the Coast Guard version in 1923, the Army version in 1941, and the Air Force version in 1963; the Air Force Good Conduct Medal was temporarily discontinued from February 2006 to February 2009, followed by its subsequent reinstatement. Criteria The criteria for a Good Conduct Medal are defined by Executive Orders 8809, 9323, and 10444. The Good Conduct Medal, each one specific to one of the six branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, is currently awarded to any active duty enlisted member of the United States military who completes three consecutive years of "honorable and faithful service," or the initial term of enlistment if less than three years. Such service implies that a standard enlistment was completed without any non-jud ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Combat Infantry Badge
The Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) is a United States Army military decoration. The badge is awarded to infantrymen and Special Forces soldiers in the rank of colonel and below, who fought in active ground combat while assigned as members of either an Infantry or Special Forces unit of brigade size or smaller at any time after 6 December 1941. For those soldiers who are not members of an infantry, or Special Forces unit, the Combat Action Badge (CAB) is awarded instead. For soldiers with an MOS in the medical field they would, with the exception of a Special Forces Medical Sergeant (18D), receive the Combat Medical Badge. 18D Special Forces Medics would receive the Combat Infantryman badge instead. The CIB and its non-combat contemporary, the Expert Infantryman Badge (EIB), were created in November 1943 during World War II to boost morale and increase the prestige of service in the Infantry. Specifically, it recognizes the inherent sacrifices of all infantrymen, and that t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vernon Baker
Vernon Joseph Baker (December 17, 1919 – July 13, 2010) was a United States Army first lieutenant who was an infantry company platoon leader during World War II and a paratrooper during the Korean War. In 1997, he was awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration for valor, for his actions on April 5–6, 1945, near Viareggio, Italy. Baker and six other Black Americans who served in World War II were formally awarded the Medal of Honor on January 12, 1997. A day later, Baker (the only living recipient) and representatives for the six other men were given the awards by President Bill Clinton at a ceremony in the White House in Washington, D.C. The seven recipients were the first (and only) Black Americans to be awarded the Medal of Honor for World War II. Baker died in 2010 at the age of 90 and was interred at Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia. Early life Baker was born on December 17, 1919, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the youngest of three ch ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
United States Department Of Defense
The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and supervising the six U.S. armed services: the United States Army, Army, United States Navy, Navy, United States Marine Corps, Marines, United States Air Force, Air Force, United States Space Force, Space Force, the United States Coast Guard, Coast Guard for some purposes, and related functions and agencies. As of November 2022, the department has over 1.4 million active-duty uniformed personnel in the six armed services. It also supervises over 778,000 National Guard (United States), National Guard and reservist personnel, and over 747,000 civilians, bringing the total to over 2.91 million employees. Headquartered at the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C., the Department of Defense's stated mission is "to provid ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte), the largest city in the Research Triangle area, and the List of United States cities by population, 39th-most populous city in the U.S. Known as the "City of Oaks" for its oak-lined streets, Raleigh covers and had a population of 467,665 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the county seat of Wake County, North Carolina, Wake County and named after Sir Walter Raleigh, who founded the lost Roanoke Colony. Raleigh is home to North Carolina State University and is part of the Research Triangle, which includes Durham, North Carolina, Durham (home to Duke University and North Carolina Central University) and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Chapel Hill (home to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). The Research Triang ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shaw University
Shaw University is a private historically black university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded on December 1, 1865, Shaw University is the oldest HBCU to begin offering courses in the Southern United States. The school had its origin in the formation of a theological class of freedmen in the Guion Hotel. The following year it moved to a large wooden building, at the corner of Blount and Cabarrus Streets in Raleigh, where it continued as the Raleigh Institute until 1870. In 1870, the school moved to its current location on the former property of Confederate General Barringer and changed its name to the Shaw Collegiate Institute, in honor of Elijah Shaw. In 1875, the school was officially chartered with the State of North Carolina as Shaw University. The main campus resides on 24 acres in the East Raleigh-South Park Historic District in downtown Raleigh. Shaw also owns and operates a 35-acre farm located on Rock Quarry Rd. Historical buildings, which either currently ( Estey ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Netherlands American Cemetery And Memorial
Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial () is a Second World War military war grave cemetery, located in the village of Margraten, east of Maastricht, in the most southern part of the Netherlands. The cemetery, the only American one in the Netherlands and dedicated in 1960, contains a constantly varying number above 8,000 American war dead and covers . It is administered by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC). History The cemetery was created in November 1944 under the leadership of Lt. Col. Joseph Shomon of the 611th Graves Registration Company, as the Ninth United States Army pushed into the Netherlands from France and Belgium. As the war was coming to an end, it was expected that the cemetery would have to be built twice in the following years: first to accommodate what would become more than 20,000 dead of the last months of the conflict, including enemy dead, then to what would become a reduced population of 8,000 as other permanent cemeteries were opened, b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is the United States Army's second highest Awards and decorations of the United States military, military decoration for soldiers who display extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree that they are above those required for all other U.S. combat decorations, but which do not meet the criteria for the Medal of Honor. The Army Distinguished Service Cross is equivalent to the Naval Services' Navy Cross, the Air and Space Forces' Air Force Cross (United States), Air Force Cross, and the Coast Guard Cross. Prior to the creation of the Air Force Cross in 1960, airmen were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. The Distinguished Service Cross was first awarded during World War I. In addition, a number of awards were bestowed for actions which took place before World War I. In many cases, the medal was awarded to soldiers who had received a Certificate ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
413th Regiment (United States)
The 413th Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army Reserve. Established 24 June 1921 as the 413th Infantry, part of the Organized Reserves, it was attached to the 104th Infantry Division. The regiment was originally headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. Ordered into active service on 15 September 1942, the regiment saw service during World War II with campaign participation credit in Northern France, Rhineland, and Central Europe. Inactivated during post-World War II demobilization, the regiment was reactivated 25 March 1947 as part of the Organized Reserves and headquartered in Oakland, California. Since 1947, the regiment has undergone reorganization and its headquarters have moved, with the current headquarters being at Vancouver Barracks, Washington. The regiment is still part of the 104th Infantry Division, which is now a training division for the United States Army Reserve. Most recently, the regiment has had elements activated for War on Terrorism service. H ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
