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[[image: black and white image of a tank with one soldier sitting atop it; others walking alongside carrying guns.]]

[[caption]] of New Orleans, swing into battle, in specially set up "offensive" on Benning's Sand Hill area. They are supported by white tank company.

[[heading]] Equality of treatment and opportunity in Armed Forces is no hoax but a working policy of U. S. [[/heading]]

[[column 1]]
THE EXECUTIVE ORDER OF PRESIDENT Truman calling for "equality of treatment and opportunity for all those who serve in our country's defense" [[italics]] works [[/italics]]. It works because Secretary of Defense Louis A. Johnson has made it clear to all branches of the Armed Forces that within the immediate future he intends to accomplish complete integration of Negroes into all of our services. It works because tens of thousands of white and Negro boys and girls in all branches of the service -and from all sections of the country - have shown the democratic will to work, eat, sleep, play and if need be, fight together in the service of their country.

Not every intention of the Truman order has been accomplished. The Department of the 
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[[column 2]]
Army has only had an "acceptable" plan since January 16, of this year. Other branches of the Armed Forces have been at work implementing Defense Secretary Johnson's policy less than a year. There can be no doubt that [[italics]] until every all-Negro unit is completely abolished, full equality will not be achieved. [[/italics]] But the degree of opportunity open to Negroes in our armed forces today is a far-cry from those dim days 20 years ago when Negro cavalrymen were used as "officers' grooms"; and Negro seamen were restricted to duty as mess stewards.

Pictorially this story is limited to ten major defense installations in the Zone of the Interior (Continental U.S.). But it gives a fair picture of the degree of Negro integration in all our Armed Forces. It is limited also to men and 
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women in uniform. But it reflects the growing favorable treatment accorded a vast army (about 70 thousand) of Negro civilians who serve under the Flag in U.S. and overseas.

Today in our Armed Forces, roughly 100 thousand Negroes are in uniform: 60 thousand in the Army, 25 thousand in the Air Force, 15 thousand in the Navy and Marine Corps. Many of these troops remain engaged in service units. However, increasing numbers of them are in training in tactical units for combat duty. In all Armed Forces Schools of whatever branch of the service, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force or the Marine Corps, the training program is carried on with no separation based on race. For all Negro personnel the integration program spells greater freedom.
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OUR WORLD June PAGE 13 [[/footer]]