71 years Ago Today; President Truman signs Executive Order 9981, desegregating the US Military
Executive Order 9981 is an executive order issued on July 26, 1948, by President Harry S. Truman. It abolished discrimination "on the basis of race, color, religion or national origin" in the United States Armed Forces. The executive order eventually led to the end of segregation in the services.
History
Before Executive Order 9981
Blacks in the military worked under different rules that delayed their entry into combat. They had to wait four years before they could begin combat training while a white American would begin training within months of being qualified. The Air Corps was deliberately delaying the training of African Americans even though it needed more manpower (Survey and Recommendations).
In an Army survey conducted among 250 white officers and sergeants who had a colored platoon assigned to their company the following results were found: 77% of both officers and sergeants said they had become more favorable towards black soldiers after having a black platoon assigned to their company (no cases were found where someone said their attitude towards them had turned less favorable), 84% of officers and 81% of sergeants thought the black soldiers had performed very well in combat, only 5% of officers and 4% of sergeants thought that black infantry soldiers were not as good as white infantry soldiers, and 73% of officers and 60% of sergeants thought that black soldiers and white soldiers got along together very well. According to this particular survey there are no reasonable grounds for segregation in the armed forces.
Attempts to end discrimination
In 1947, A. Philip Randolph, along with colleague Grant Reynolds, renewed efforts to end discrimination in the armed services, forming the Committee Against Jim Crow in Military Service and Training, later renamed the League for Non-Violent Civil Disobedience Against Military Segregation. Truman's Order expanded on Executive Order 8802 by establishing equality of treatment and opportunity in the military for people of all races, religions, or national origins.
The order:
It is hereby declared to be the policy of the President that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion or national origin. This policy shall be put into effect as rapidly as possible, having due regard to the time required to effectuate any necessary changes without impairing efficiency or morale.
The order also established a committee to investigate and make recommendations to the civilian leadership of the military to implement the policy.
The order eliminated Montford Point as a segregated marine boot camp. It became a satellite facility of Camp Lejeune.
Most of the actual enforcement of the order was accomplished by President Dwight D. Eisenhower's administration (1953–1961), including the desegregation of military schools, hospitals, and bases. The last of the all-black units in the United States military was abolished in September 1954.
Kenneth Claiborne Royall, Secretary of the Army since 1947, was forced into retirement in April 1949 for continuing to refuse to desegregate the army nearly a year after President Truman's Order.
Fifteen years after Truman's order, on July 26, 1963, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara issued Directive 5120.36 encouraging military commanders to employ their financial resources against facilities used by soldiers or their families that discriminated based upon sex or race.
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family that had sided with the south in the Civil War, and early on that's how he identified. But that changed. 
...and to think, we almost elected "the little man on the wedding cake"! 
Good old pack journalism. They were so sure that after 4 years of their badmouthing Truman, Dewey would win big. They all said so after all. 
I do remember a group of presidential historians chatting on CSPAN about whether Truman was one of the great presidents who belonged on Mount Rushmore. They agreed he sorta belonged there but maybe just as a profile -- his tragic Korea mistake in listening to General MacArthur, hardly undone but at least tempered by refusing to invade China and ultimately firing him. Certainly using his executive power to integrate the military against congressional opposition was part of his greatness.
Wish we could recognize our great presidents before historians identify and rescue their legacies at least from the barrages of ignorant and spiteful contempt they all live through.
Our Best Presidents. 
He knew he was facing re-election that fall (and needed Dixiecrat support), yet he did this as an EO! THAT is a true Profile In Courage!
