"Eugene Sledge and the civil rights movment" Topic

So I love the series the Pacific, and read Sledes' book about Pelilu and Okinawa. I think the reason I like the pacific more then BOB is that I really do relate to Sledge on a personal level, he seems much like me, more then any other "character" from WW2.

But I have to wonder, he was from Mobile, a town that saw alot of race problems during WW2, and beeing from the deep south, I always wonders about his stance on racial integration.

From the series it does apear his family had black servants, that might mean he paradoxacly had more contact with blacks then other southeners. But it might also mean he did have feeling of superiorty since they were his servants.

I have no idea about this, but I am curious. I guess I'm afraid to find out he was this big bigot, a man of his time ect.

Beeing a Proffesor at a university he might have gotten mix up in all this. and I wonder if anyboy knows if he had a public opinion on it, or just stayed out of it all?

I'm younger than the author you mention and wasn't raised in the south. Yet, I do remember the general prevailing racial attitudes of the vast majority of whites towards blacks (at least during the 1950's) was one of superiority and even loathing. My father, a WWII Pacific combat veteran by the way, while he didn't hate non-whites, certainly considered them to be almost a non factor in both the military and society. Segregation of the races wasn't just a southern institution either.

At any rate, Sledge was who he was. Just leave it at that.

Well said Randy.

Agreed Randy!

I am not aware of him publishing his opinions on the matter, nor do I think anything is to be gained by speculating on the subject.

Agreed.

Yes, Randy is right, I did debate if I should make that thread, so just ignore the thread.

Scroll down. There are 6 interviews with him – the bird-watching professor

studsterkel.org/gwar.php

Great set of interviews. Thanks Victor.