The AFRO honors military men and women at annual Veterans Day luncheon

By Alexis Taylor

AFRO Managing Editor 

The AFRO honored members of the U.S. Air Force; U.S. Army; U.S. Coast Guard; U.S. Navy; U.S. Marine Corps and the Space Force inside of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland’s African American History and Culture on Nov. 14. 

The event served as a salute to Carroll A. “Junebug” Durham, Arnold H. Sampson Jr. and Perlisa D. Wilson, all who served in the military with pride. Former Maryland State Delegate Clarence “Tiger” Davis and the AFRO’s own Deyane Moses, who serves as ​​director of programs and partnerships for Afro Charities, were also surprised with recognition for their service in the Air Force and the Army, respectively. 

“I’m grateful for the chance to be honored,” said Sampson, to those gathered. 

Sampson entered the military and began serving on active duty in March 1968, fresh out of grad school. While training at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, Sampson volunteered to learn how to fly helicopters to complete medical evacuations or “dustoffs.”

Soon, he was in Vietnam, in the throes of a deadly war that never ceased producing casualties in need of the Army’s emergency air ambulance system. When it was all said and done, Sampson

Completed 857 combat flying hours and 878 combat flying missions. In total, he evacuated 2,200 patients as the Vietnam War raged around him. 

“We went out there on a wing and a prayer- just nerves and God,” said Sampson. 

For his efforts, he received a Distinguished Flying Cross.

“I was not seeking anything,” he explained. “If they had said ‘Lt. Sampson, do you want to go home tomorrow?’ I would have said, ‘Give me 15 minutes to pack my bags.’”

In addition to that award, he earned a Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with a Silver Star device for heroism, two Purple Hearts and a Broken Wing Award. 

“Im really proud of that because it is for landing an aircraft that should not have landed, because it was damaged by enemy fire.” 

Sampson is just one example of the humble veterans who walk among us everyday. The luncheon served as time for them to speak on their bravery out loud and receive recognition from those who have benefitted from their service. 

Durham was also proud to show off his accolades, unnoticed for far too long. 

Born in Sumter, South Carolina in 1948, Durham spent part of his youth in Washington, D.C.  He came from a long line of soldiers, with family members serving in the Civil War, World War II and in Korea. Following in the footsteps of those who came before him, Sumter joined the U.S. Army and soon found himself shipped off to Vietnam. 

Still just a teenager, he fought valiantly in the jungles of a strange land, while his own country refused to recognize and appreciate his service due to the color of his skin. 

“I was in Vietnam in 1968 and 69,” recalled Durham, for guests during the luncheon. “I was a young soldier at 19 years old…my time in the service was very traumatic, doing what I had to do, very young–my brain not even formed at 19 years old– I did what I had to do.”

Like many veterans, Durham joined the Army with a goal in mind- one that he ultimately reached. 

“I wanted to get into the military because I wanted to go to college–which I did. I went to Barber-Scotia College,” he said. 

Thousands of miles away from the terror he witnessed overseas, Durham was successful in earning his degree. In 1975 he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from the same institution attended by the legendary civil rights leader and women’s right advocate, Mary McLeod Bethune. 

As a result of his time in the U.S. Army, Durham earned more than a dozen medals for heroism, including four Bronze Stars. 

In 1999, three decades after the service that caused him to struggle with post traumatic stress disorder, Durham was hailed a hero by the Senate of Maryland and the House of Delegates for his actions in Vietnam. In February of that year, state legislators honored him with Resolution 0462 and Resolution 559 for “valor and heroism” in “defense of his nation.”

The third honoree for the day, Command Sergeant Major (Ret.) Perlisa D. Wilson spoke to the military women who carved out a place for her in a world run by men. 

“I stand here because of them—because of what they did and how they served. Without them, none of this would be possible,” she said. “I saw no women above the rank of E-6 in 1990. That just lets you know it was still a struggle.”

Wilson said she leaned on her faith to get through the challenges of  32 years of service in the Maryland National Guard. 

“It didn’t come without resistance, it didn’t come without discrimination, it didn’t come without sexism,” she said. “It didn’t come without racism. While I stood there in the gap, with two of my battle buddies, it was a struggle.”

Wilson said the challenges still persist for certain soldiers– even in 2024. 

“Continue to pray for soldiers- especially the Black and Brown soldiers,” said Wilson. “We are still punished more severely than our White counterparts. We are still fighting just to get promoted when you’ve done everything that you needed to do above and beyond. 

“I did everything above and beyond and I still had people say, ‘she only got the job because she was a woman.’”

“Well guess what?,” she quipped, “Thank god for being a woman.”

Today, Wilson is a shining example of what Black service women can do when given the chance.

“I feel that this is a very prestigious moment not only for myself, but for so many who served before me— during slavery, during women’s suffrage and Jim Crow just so I could have an opportunity.” 

Wilson wasn’t the only one to uplift the women of the past who dared to put on a military uniform. 

Col. (Ret.) Edna W. Cummings delivered an insightful keynote speech, detailing her efforts to have the U.S. Congress honor the more than 800 women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. The women received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2022 for their efforts in clearing a backlog of mail. The letters began to pile up as government officials tried to keep plans of their June 1944 D-Day attack under wraps by closely monitoring and slowing down correspondence via mail. With no way to communicate with family and friends back home, soldiers began to feel disconnected and shut out from the world as they tried to survive the European theatre of war.

“They restored reliable mail service overseas through World War II – you’re talking about 17 to 20 million pieces of mail,” Cummings told those gathered. “You had 855, Black women from the diaspora– some Afro Latina, some from the Caribbean–who went over and saw the military’s mai and morale crisis. Other units tried and failed. They could not get it done until they got 855 Black women who figured it out.”

According to the National Park Service, the women “were able process about 65,000 pieces of mail per shift and cleared the backlog in three months.”

The story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion is slated to be told on the screen and on the stage. On Dec. 20, Netflix will release Tyler Perry’s film, starring Kerry Washington, titled “The Six Triple Eight.” There is also a Broadway play on the women being developed by actor and producer Blair Underwood, with help from Cummings, who serves as the stage play’s historical advisor. 

In her speech, Cumming praised not only the Black men and women who served, but also the Black Press, which told the stories of valor that mainstream media ignored. 

“The AFRO, in existence since 1892, has always covered the story of Black troops– and oftentimes it came at a steep price,” said Cummings. “I didn’t know this until I started studying the 6888th during World War 1, 13 soldiers were hung in San Antonio for participating in the Houston riots. The only case of a Black editor being jailed and convicted for violating the Espionage Act was editor John H. Murphy. His crime? He called the hung soldiers ‘martyrs.’”

Still today, the AFRO continues to keep the legacy of Black service members alive. 

In 2023 the organization republished their book, “This is Our War,” a compilation of stories and drawings from the Black soldiers of World War II. The book has stood the test of time, and like the annual Veterans Day luncheon, highlights the grit and determination of Black soldiers who paved the way for generations to come. 

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