The American Foreign Legion

the long version

"Still segregated in World War I, the U.S. Army was reluctant to use its 93d Divison of black soldiers in combat with its own units and instead assigned the division's three National Guard regiments and one draftee regiment to the French Army. The battlefield successes of these African Americans under the French at the height of the German offensives in 1918 turned white expectations of failure upside down. Their bravery and heroism gained the respect of the French and Germans alike and called into question the U.S. Army's policy of racially segregating its divisions." "Their story of overcoming the odds at a time when most believed black performed poorly in combat is told by Frank E. Roberts, who has been researching the subject for years. While acknowledging the many problems encountered by the 93d, he focuses on the many triumphs of these tenacious soldiers as they fought both the enemy and the prejudices of their fellow Americans."--BOOK JACKET.