Whites only

[KukriKhan]

We (US) didn't fully integrate our armed forces until 1963, despite Executive Orders and DoD Directives to do so - an extremely regrettable delay given the sacrifices and contributions made since even before our Revolution. Shameful.

That the Brits & French followed the american lead during WWII - clearly racist in hindsight; seen as "accomodating sensitivities" at the time - is understandable, if less than forgiveable. IMO.

How do you make up for that? I guess you don't, except to restore pensions denied to the few remaining hundreds of survivors, and officially acknowledge service rendered honourably.

[Louis VI the Fat]

We (US) didn't fully integrate our armed forces until 1963, despite Executive Orders and DoD Directives to do so - an extremely regrettable delay given the sacrifices and contributions made since even before our Revolution. Shameful.

That the Brits & French followed the american lead during WWII - clearly racist in hindsight; seen as "accomodating sensitivities" at the time - is understandable, if less than forgiveable. IMO.

Part of the French criticism I quoted is that the article places the blame all too easily on the Americans. According to the article, the French troops were mixed, were then ordered by the Americans to parade whites only, to which the British grudgingly agreed.
While the criticism on the Americans is fair enough, the article is, however, too easy on the British and the French. Colonial powers, lest the author forgot.

What's interesting is that the Americans mainly had an issue with Black troops. With their own Blacks, and with the role Blacks played in the French forces.
Black African troops were much less of a problem to the French. The Senegalese in particular were popular. Always the most loyal colonials. Seeing the Senegalese troops in France was a comforting sight to French, and uncomfortable to the Americans.

Apart from that, France had many issues with all sorts of non-metropolitan troops. (That is, troops not from mainland, European France). For example, De Gaulle spread and mixed the North Africans over many regiments, with an eye firmly at the period after the war. 'No Muslim regiments, please'. Racism was rampant, institutionalised, and lay at the very foundation of the organisation of the French forces. It didn't take the Americans for France to be unfair on her indigenous troops.
Segregation was American racism. Non-segregation was French racism. Do not mistake 'mixed' French regiments for a sign of less racism. It was meant to keep the indigenous under control.


Edit. Oh, the article does overestimate the importance of colonial troops a bit.