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10 Facts about African-American Military Service

10 Facts about African-American Military Service

In honor of Veterans Day, here are some statistics that bring to life the breadth and depth of African-American military service since World War I. Sources for the statistics include the 2016 American Community Survey, Statista, the Congressional Research Service, the National WWII Museum and the U.S. Army.

Black veterans salute the fallen. (36753)
Credit: FILE photo
  • 2.1 million: Black military veterans nationwide
  • 30.2: Percent of active-duty enlisted women in 2016 who were African-American
  • 17.1: Percent of active-duty enlisted men in 2016 who were African-American
  • 20,000+: Black Marine Corps recruits who received training at Montford Point camp in North Carolina during World War II
  • 21: African-Americans who received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Vietnam War
  • 7,243: Deaths of active-duty black service members in Vietnam
  • 3,075: Deaths of active-duty black service members in the Korean War
  • 901,896: African-Americans who served during World War II
  • 24: Percent of the 500,000 U.S. military personnel deployed to the Middle East during the Persian Gulf War who were African-American
  • 350,000+: Blacks who served in American Expeditionary Forces units on the Western Front in World War I

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