Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles: America's First Black Paratroopers
By: Tanya Lee Stone / Narrated By: JD Jackson
Length: 3 hrs and 1 min
Seriously—if 7th grade History class was like this, maybe I woulda listened. Absolutely wonderful!
Don’t jump on my craw and Unsubscribe when I lament:
I live in a state that is verrrrrry threatened about EVERYthing Science, and AAAALLL things True History, and will suspend/fire teachers for teaching other views of History.
There, have you dashed off to Unsubscribe? I’m one of THOSE people.
Cuz seriously; this is Native American Heritage Month (And we did NOT learn about anything but the brave ol’ Pilgrims in school), and 7th-grade History was a verrrry different version of the Alamo than I’ve recently learned.
Add to that? Jeez, do we have to get all touchy about Black heritage lessons when we can all agree that sooo much of this country was built with the hands, off the backs, of those in slavery?
Here, in Courage Has No Color, I’m rootin’ and tootin’ with joy to learn for the Very. First. Time about the Triple Nickles, America’s first Black Paratroopers. HUZZAH for American Heroes, but booooo that these extraordinary young men weren’t given the chance to see combat. I know I know, that woulda meant certain death for some of them, but these guys were hungry for a chance to fight, even for a country that kept them in perpetual 2nd class status.
What starts as a group of young Black men bored and of low-morale, turns into a sense of self-pride when First Sergeant Walter Morris takes charge and starts demanding formations and exercises equal to what the white paratroopers are learning. On the quiet, he has them learning about parachutes and how to land properly with weight distributed evenly, and even making low jumps. Right away, there’s a sense of pride the men start feeling, dignity through action. These guys didn’t join just to serve whites, they joined to be a part of something greater.
The book is carefully researched and covers the experiences of Black men throughout the armed services where they were mostly relegated to serve or do grunt work. Author Tanya Lee Stone delves into the words and actions of those in power who aaaaalmost did the right thing (FDR), who did the right thing grudgingly (Patton), or who refused altogether (MacArthur… not surprising considering what a toad he was… no offense to toads…).
And there are soooo many chronicled incidents of hatred and inequity, of horrible slaps in the face such as men having the experience of being fully-fledged paratroopers, stepping out in crisply ironed uniforms, and having to go to the back of the bus… even as POWs, those who killed Americans, got to sit in the first seats.
Fortunately, Courage Has No Color doesn’t dwell on these; rather it relies heavily on the bravery of the men, their dedication, their ability to come at hatred and turn away from it. As this is s’posed to be aimed at a younger audience, I think it’s absolutely the right way to dwell on the heroic and to leave (Most of) the hatred off on the sidelines.
Now JD Jackson… What can I say about the man, but he’s truly a superior narrator. One can always count on him to deliver gravitas and solemnity withOUT making something even remotely dull. He can do the broad-sweeping vocals; he can do the curt chapter sections—all ending up sounding like a Shakespearean actor orating on the stage. He’s just THAT good!
Nope, the 555th paratroopers did NOT get the chance to battle Hitler, but they kiiiiiinda got the chance to battle back against the Japanese. They were sent to be the very first Smokejumpers and drop into forests to battle forest blazes. Tho’ none of the fires they fought were caused by the floating parachute bombs the Japanese sent over, all of the fires were large and dangerous. They became so seasoned at fighting them that they were tasked with training future smokejumpers.
Dunno why it takes yeeeeeears for a country to be grateful, but the audiobook ends with just how the 555th, Triple Nickles, opened the door for future Black individuals to serve valiantly, serve proudly. Not a dry eye in this room when a Nickles veteran pins the wings on a grandson who WILL get to serve, I tell ya.
Truly, a grand little Listen, and may I say it to one and all? Veterans to be proud of!!!
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