As a member of the US Navy during WW2, my brother served aboard the USS Mason a destroyer escort which was the only naval vessel during this war that was manned by an all-black crew; kinda like a sea -going version of the Tuskeegee airmen.
He and his shipmates served honorably aboard this ship, risking their lives in the rough seas of the North Atlantic in action against the Germans, going unrecognized for their valor.
Finally, 50 years later, President Bill Clinton invited all the USS Mason survivors to Washington DC to be honored in a ceremony where they received special medals commemorating their bravery.
I was 8 years old when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, setting off America's entry into WW2 but I'll never forget that December day. There was no TV back in 1941 but this news was blasting on every radio station!