This Week

6 MONTH CD

The Liberators

While freeing Jews from concentration camps,
other men were fighting for their own freedom.

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to fight on the front lines. Wade and
White finally had their chance to
prove themselves when the Battle of
the Bulge caused heavy American
hen John H. White
losses at the end of 1944.
and J. Cameron Wade
The Army was looking for fighting
stepped up to the front
volunteers — any color would do.
lines in World War II,
Some 4,550 African Americans
they were not only fighting against
signed up to fight.
Nazism, but fighting for their rights
Although it is unclear how many of
to equality.
the
2,221 volunteers actually liberated
White and Wade were part of
the camps — there are only
what is known as the
"2,221" Negro Volunteers John H. White and 120 active members in the
group, and Wade is searching
— the exact number of
j. Camero n Wade
through old records — there
black troops assigned to 41 at the Hol ocaust
is little doubt that those who
units of the American
Memorial Center.
liberated survivors will never
infantry who blazed their
forget it.
way to victory over fas-
"We
didn't
even know if they were
cism.
camps.
We
found
people locked up
The former soldiers spent two
like
that,
we
just
let
'em loose," said
hours touring the Holocaust
White. "They couldn't help themselves
Memorial Center in West Bloomfield
— they couldn't go anywhere. They
on June 13 as part of a metro-
were too weak to go anywhere."
Detroit adult education program.
Wade said he once had nightmares
White, 78, a student at the Trinity
about
what he saw. "I tried to stay
Development Center in Detroit,
away
from
remembering what hap-
invited Wade, 75, who lives in
pened
then,"
he said, and expressed
Irving, Texas, to take the tour.
hope
that
the
tour wouldn't cause the
Wade is chairman of the
bad
dreams
to
return.
Association of the 2,221 Negro
White
said
he
feels a certain kin-
Volunteers-WWII.
ship with the survivors.
As young black men, they were
"All our lives we were victims of
relegated to what they called "The
racism,"
he said. "The Jews had the
Red Ball Express," supplying Gen.
Pharoah.
With us, it was the Southern
George Patton's white troops with
plantation
owners. We all identify."
the gasoline and ammunition needed

HARRY KI RS BAU M
Staff Writer