From the Revolutionary War to World War II, Black American soldiers have undergone centuries of having to repeatedly prove their worth with each conflict in which they served.
The issuance by President Harry S. Truman of Executive Order No. 9981 finally integrated the United States Army, but it was not until Vietnam that Black and white soldiers truly became accustomed to depending on one another in combat.
Prior to that, a number of Black service personnel laid the groundwork with a succession of “firsts” in battle, including many Medals of Honor and the first commissioned officers. It was not until Vietnam, however, that a Black soldier, Riley Pitts, earned both an officer’s commission and the Medal of Honor.
Born in Fallis, Oklahoma, on Oct. 15, 1937, Riley Leroy Pitts attended Wichita State University, the first in his family to go to college. After graduating with a degree in journalism, he married Eula Mae and had a daughter, Stacie, and a son, Mark. He initially worked for a time with Boeing Aviation before enlisting in the Army in 1960 and subsequently earning a second lieutenant’s commission.
