Racial Segregation And The Military During The Vietnam War...

Racial gang fights were all too common in the military during the Vietnam War Era. Initially, African Americans thought the military was a safe haven from the Ku Klux Klan, but soon discovered the KKK was a major source of racial violence within the military. â€Å"Groups of whites, wearing real or impromptu Klan robes, were reported on numerous military bases in the United States and overseas.† (Westheider 85) The Ku Klux Klan also has similar traditional practices such as burning the cross on military bases. â€Å"In May 1969, two white sailors at Cam Ranh Bay burned a twelve-foot-high cross in front of a predominantly black barrack.† (Westheider 85) These Klan practices escalated racial violence even more. Blacks were not accepting to the racial slang and practices of the Ku Klux Klan, which lead to many racial gang fights within barracks, bars, and food service lines at military camps. Much of the racial violence were fistfights between black and whites, which actua lly caused a lot of damage to the soldiers and any location where a fight took place. â€Å"Often these Klan-like activities seemed to occur with the tacit approval of those in command.† (Westheider 85) The Ku Klux Klan was obviously supported by the military, and is one major cause of racial friction and violence in the military. The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. caused racial tensions to escalate even more. â€Å"Many whites openly celebrated the murder.† (Westheider 97) â€Å"The feeling of anger and frustration did notShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Civil Rights Movement1708 Words   |  7 PagesAmerican citizens in the Constitution. The key players in succeeding with the civil rights movement were the soldiers returning from the war, Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and the anti-Vietnam War activists. 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