A ‘Revelation’ and a Reminder

The piece by Richard A. Serrano (“Poignant Protest,” Sept. 15) about the ill-treatment of the mothers and wives of black servicemen killed in Europe in World War I was an interesting revelation of an all-but-forgotten incident subsequent to an all-but-forgotten war in an all-but-forgotten era. But the article was notable for its omissions as much as its revelations.

Although Serrano pointed out that “most of the black soldiers and sailors had worked as support staff” and that “they were not felled by enemy bullets,” he neglected to mention that thousands of black Americans were assigned as combat infantrymen and aviators under the French flag and that many were wounded and died under enemy fire, earning France’s highest decorations for their valor. Serrano may have contributed to the stereotyping of blacks, which plagues the recounting of history in our country.

Wade Moore

San Diego