Courage Has No Color

So in sticking with the WWII theme, I turned to Courage Has No Color: The true story of the Triple Nickels, America's first black paratroopers by Tanya Lee Stone. As a pretty quick read, the story of the Triple Nickels is beautifully written and peppered with powerful images. Stone's work highlights an often overlooked aspect of American history. It is so disheartening to read the account of how African American soldiers were treated by their fellow soldiers, even in comparison with German and Italians captured by Americans as prisoners of war. Despite the huge inroads this group started towards integration of the military, the conclusion of their story is beyond as frustrating as it is inspiring. Stone says it best in the when she says, "What is courage? What is strength? Perhaps it is being ready to fight for your nation even when your nation isn't ready to fight for you."