Museum Welcomes Family Members of Four out Seven African Americans WWII Medal of Honor Recipients with Al Roker for “Unsung Heroes” Event

Family members from four out of the seven African Americans who received the Medal of Honor for their service in World War II with Al Roker. From Left to Right: Sandra Holliday, Allene Carter, Al Roker, Willie Rivers, and Margaret Pender.

In conjunction with the special exhibit Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in World War II, on Wednesday, October 14, 2015, the Museum presented “Unsung Heroes: Seven African American Heroes, Seven Medals of Honor, and the Decades that came Between Them” – a commemorative program honoring seven African American men who received Medals of Honor more than 50 years after their service in World War II.

Hosted by NBC’s Today Show weather anchor Al Roker, who also produced the documentary Honor Deferred (2006) on these men, featured family members from four of the seven African Americans who received the Medal of Honor for their service in World War II. The evening explored the lives of the seven honorees, First Lieutenant Vernon Baker; Staff Sergeant Edward A. Carter, Jr.; First Lieutenant John R. Fox; Private First Class Willy F. James, Jr.; Staff Sergeant Ruben Rivers; First Lieutenant Charles L. Thomas; and Private George Watson.

Although thousands of black soldiers saw combat, no African American servicemen received the Medal of Honor during World War II. Several of these men received Distinguished Service Crosses, but Medals of Honor were not distributed due to an unofficial practice of denying the nation’s highest military medal to African Americans. Prior to World War II, 57 African Americans had received the Medal of Honor and many after World War II as well. In 1997, after an investigation “to determine if there was a racial disparity in the way Medal of Honor recipients were selected,” President Bill Clinton conducted a ceremony awarding the Medal of Honor to seven men African American men.

During the event, war correspondent and author Joe Galloway; Dr. Conrad Crane, chief of historical services at the Army Heritage and Education Center, Carlisle Barracks; and Dr. Nick Mueller, president and CEO of The National WWII Museum, set the stage of our nation during World War II and relieved the heroic actions of these seven neglected men. Roker alongside family members of Staff Sergeant Edward A. Carter; Private First Class Willy F. James, Jr.; Staff Sergeant Ruben Rivers; and First Lieutenant Charles L. Thomas, revealed the struggles and long wait for recognition of these men.

Missed the event? Watch “Unsung Heroes: Seven African American Heroes, Seven Medals of Honor, and the Decades that came Between Them” on livestream.

Learn more about the lives of these men and other African Americans in the Museum’s current special exhibit Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in WWII on display at the Museum through May 30, 2016.

Explore the exhibit online at righttofightexhibit.org.

: Sandra Holliday and her daughter Alanna Griffith standing at Medal of Honor Recipient Charles Thomas's feature in the Museum's special exhibit. They are the niece and great-niece of Charles Thomas.
Photos of the Unsung Heroes event at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, LA.

: Brother of WWII Medal of Honor Recipient Ruben Rivers, Willie Rivers, stands with his wife Norma Rivers at Ruben's feature in the Museum's special exhibit.
Photos of the Unsung Heroes event at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, LA.

: Relatives of Edward A. Carter, Jr. standing with his feature in the Museum special exhibit.
Photos of the Unsung Heroes event at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, LA.

: Dr. Nick Mueller, president and CEO of The National WWII Museum, showing Al Roker the five out of seven Medals of Honor awarded to African Americans during World War II on view in the Museum's special exhibit.
Photos of the Unsung Heroes event at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, LA.

: Five out of seven Medals of Honor awarded to African Americans during World War II on view in the Museum's special exhibit.
Photos of the Unsung Heroes event at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, LA.

: Sandra Holliday receiving a certificate for a memorial brick for her uncle Charles Thomas that will be placed on the Museum grounds. All seven African Americans who received the Medal of Honor for their service in World War II will have a brick placed at the Museum in their honor.
Photos of the Unsung Heroes event at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, LA.

: Allene Carter receiving a certificate for a memorial brick for Edward A. Carter, Jr. that will be placed on the Museum grounds.All seven African Americans who received the Medal of Honor for their service in World War II will have a brick placed at the Museum in their honor.
Photos of the Unsung Heroes event at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, LA.

: Margaret Pender holding the brick certificate for her relative, Medal of Honor recipient Willy James. All seven African Americans who received the Medal of Honor for their service in World War II will have a brick placed at the Museum in their honor.
Photos of the Unsung Heroes event at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, LA.

: Allene Carter, Willie Rivers, Margaret Pender, and Sandra Holliday proudly holding the brick certificates that honor their relatives. All seven African Americans who received the Medal of Honor for their service in World War II will have a brick placed at the Museum in their honor.
Photos of the Unsung Heroes event at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, LA.

: Family members from four out of the seven African Americans who received the Medal of Honor for their service in World War II with Al Roker. From Left to Right: Sandra Holliday, Alene Carter, Al Roker, Willie Rivers, and Margaret Pender.
Photos of the Unsung Heroes event at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, LA.

: The brick certificate of Ruben Rivers. All seven African Americans who received the Medal of Honor for their service in World War II will have a brick placed at the Museum in their honor.
Photos of the Unsung Heroes event at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, LA.

Posted : Wednesday, October 21st, 2015 @ 11:39 am
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