Truman Gibson was Chief Civilian Advisor to Secretary of War Henry Stimson during World War II. He gave these statements at a press conference in Washington, DC, about black and white servicemen fighting side by side in Europe during the war.
Gibson reported that this policy was working and that "it was apparent that the attitude of the Supreme Command that there should be no discrimination against any soldier on account of race had reached all elements of the Command." He also noted that there had been few reports of discrimination, and that "the record being made by Negro soldiers gives the lie to any charge that Negroes cannot and will not fight."
Additionally, Gibson stated that the first units of black nurses and WACS had been sent overseas, and that their commanding officer described them as "being the equals professionally of any nurses in the area."
In 1946, Truman Gibson would be named to President Harry S. Truman's civilian commission on universal military training that urged ending segregation in the military. President Truman issued Executive Order 9981, banning the segregation of the Armed Forces, in 1948.
This document was identified by teachers in our Primarily Teaching 2016 Summer Workshop at the Truman Library.This primary source comes from the Collection HST-PN: Philleo Nash Papers.
Full Citation: Statement by Truman Gibson, Jr.; 4/9/1945; Minorities-Negro-General-Negro Troops in Italy-Statement by Truman Gibson, Jr., April 1945; White House Files, 1936 - 1953; Collection HST-PN: Philleo Nash Papers; Harry S. Truman Library, Independence, MO. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/statement-truman-gibson-jr, March 29, 2024]