Military
Free Soldiers of Color
On Feb. 15, 1862, Louisiana dissolved all its militia units as part of a military reorganization law. Among the organizations disbanded was a militia unique in the Confederacy, the 1st Louisiana Native Guards. What made the New Orleans unit special was that it was composed of African-Americans. It was natural that the only black militia [...]
Honors are on the way for the country’s first black Marines
At boot camp, they endured snakes, mosquitoes, substandard housing, and intense physical training. In the South Pacific, they faced the Japanese. Yet, through World War II and beyond, these 19,000 black men also confronted segregation and racism to serve as U.S. Marines. They are the Montford Point Marines, named for the segregated facility where they [...]
Obamas to host dinner honoring Iraq veterans
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will host a Feb. 29 dinner at the White House honoring members of the armed forces who served in Iraq. White House spokesman Jay Carney announced the event Monday during his briefing for reporters. Carney said the dinner will focus on men and women who served in [...]
Tuskegee airman buried at Arlington
On the same day that retired Air Force Lt. Col. Luke Weathers Jr. took his resting place among other war and military heroes, his real-life story as a World War II aviator played out on movie screens across the country. Weathers was buried Friday at Arlington National Cemetery in a service that began with a [...]
Obama launches reshaping, shrinking of US military
Looking beyond the wars he inherited, President Barack Obama on Thursday launched a reshaping and shrinking of the military. He vowed to preserve U.S. pre-eminence even as the Army and Marine Corps shed troops and the administration considers reducing its arsenal of nuclear weapons. The changes won’t come without risk, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said. [...]
