Lt. Vernon J. Baker

The writing of this book has been a profoundly moving experience in getting to know these seven African American Medal of Honor winners from WWII. They were denied their recognition for more than four decades.

I am simply in awe of their achievements and who they were as human beings. I set out with a goal for Immortal Valor, I wanted the reader to get to know these men far beyond their Medal of Honor citations. It has taken a great deal of research and hard work behind the scenes, but so far, I can report "we" have been accomplishing that mission. There is a reason I use the word "we."

I am a spiritual person, and I fully believe these men who are all deceased are aware of the book. I feel their guiding hand when I am stuck trying to confirm a fact or search for the perfect personal anecdote to bring their personalities to life. 

Every obstacle I encounter seems to dissolve as I move through it. And quite often, I will come up with finds that are pure gold. One of those "finds" is Vernon Baker's interview with the Veteran's History Project sponsored by the Library of Congress. His poignant, sometimes heart-wrenching interview gives insight into the man beyond any dry research note. Below I share an excerpt from that interview.

New Book on Normandy, Normandy Ghosts

I also wanted to highlight a new book that caught my attention in the UK Edition of the Daily Mail, Normandy Ghosts by military historians Nigel Stewart and Sean Claxton. Their photographic ghosting technique is not new as it has been done extensively on American Civil War photographs, but that does not make it any less compelling.

In fact, the photos highlighted from the book show how little WWII landscapes have changed in 75 years. See the example below.

From "Normandy Ghosts" Allied forces on track vehicles and Ariel motorcycles move inland through Saint-Côme-de-Fresné. The town is located to the west of Gold Beach.

I encourage all to check out and purchase this new book which continues to keep the history alive. Because as we know, if we forget our history, we are doomed to repeat it.

For the full Daily Mail article click here.

The 761st Tank Battalion in France

The WWII nonfiction title will publish in January 2021 to coincide with Black History Month in the US.

ATLANTA - April 9, 2021 - Robert Child of RSC Media Group, LLC announced today that he has signed a deal with Osprey Publishing, a Bloomsbury Publishing Plc division, to write a title about African-American Medal of Honor winners from WWII titled Immortal Valor. The deal was negotiated by Greg Johnson, President of Word Serve Literary.

In 1945, when Congress began reviewing the record of the most conspicuous acts of courage by American soldiers during WWII, they recommended awarding the Medal of Honor to 432 recipients. Of those nominated and despite a total of more than one million African-Americans who served, not a single black soldier received the Medal of Honor. The omission remained on the record for over four decades.

In 1993, the U.S. Army commissioned a research team at Shaw University in Raleigh, NC, to investigate the discrepancy and explore deserving black service members' records. The investigation uncovered seven incidents of uncommon valor that merited the Medal of Honor and, in turn, brought to light long-standing racial discrimination within the government to deny African-Americans their country's highest military honor.

2nd Lt. Vernon Baker received his Medal of Honor in 1997

Child commented, "In researching Black military history for my recently released television documentary, Serving for Justice, what became clear is that we need to do justice to the African-American soldiers of World War II and bring their stories to a wider audience."

Commissioning Editor Kate Moore from Osprey Publishing said, “I am delighted to have acquired this noteworthy title from Robert Child. It is a remarkable story of ordinary men who performed extraordinary acts of courage and yet were shamefully denied the highest accolade due to the color of their skin. I am proud that we will be able to bring their story to a wider audience with this new book.”

Robert Child is a military history writer, director, and author. Besides his co-authored book, The Lost Eleven (Penguin/Random House) with Denise George, he has self-published nine other nonfiction military history titles and military thrillers over the last eight years. The author has garnered more than 26 writing and directing awards, including an Emmy® nomination, and is one of only a handful of Writer / Directors whose work has screened in the United States Congress.

About Osprey Publishing – an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing, Plc

Osprey Publishing is the leading publisher of illustrated military history. Now in its 50th year, Osprey has published more than 3,000 titles on a wide range of military history subjects from ancient times to the present day, covering battles, campaigns, uniforms, weapons, equipment, tactics and organization.

For all media queries related to the publication of Immortal Valor, including obtaining review copies, author events, festivals, and book signings, please contact my publicist Rayshma.Arjune@Bloomsbury.com. 

Robert Child Speaking at the Lotos Club, NYC

UPCOMING SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS: Black History Month

February 11, 2021 12:30P PST / 3:30P EST  Santa Clara Rotary Club Type: Zoom Presentation 

February 16, 2021 11:00A PST / 2:00P EST  Awakened Nation with Brad Szollose Type: Intv. Podcast

February 19, 2021 4:00P PST / 7:00P EST  Afr. Am. Museum Bucks Cty. Type Online Film Screening, Serving for Justice with Q & A. *Ticketed Fundraising Event.

Rotary Club of Santa Clara, CA February 11th 3:30P EST

I am looking forward to speaking with the members of this very active and distinguished Rotary Club in California's Silicon Valley. I will be giving a presentation on my book, The Lost Eleven, and how it was inspired by my film, The Wereth Eleven.

Awakened Nation with Brad Szollose February 16th 2P EST

I will also be a guest on Brad Szollose's Awakened Nation Podcast, which is now in its fourth season on Apple Podcasts. I will be speaking with Brad about my recent film, Serving for Justice as well as my past creative works. Brad has welcomed many distinguished guests, and I am honored to be part of that roster.

More About Awakened Nation:

Regular People. Extraordinary Conversations.

A huge shift is taking place on planet earth; people seem to be waking up…tired of the way things used to be, they are creating something brand new and changing the world we live in.

On Awakened Nation®, award-winning author and serial entrepreneur Brad Szollose interviews the next generation of idea makers, disruptors, and the game-changers. You’ll hear from bestselling authors, professional athletes, activists, business professionals, rock stars, healers, and others, who will share stories and the truths that will open your eyes. Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/awakenednation/support

African American Museum of Bucks County Film Screening February 19th 7P EST

I am honored to be part of a benefit event to support the African American Museum of Bucks County with an online film screening of Serving for Justice about the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion in WWII. The Story of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion is a story of fortitude, brotherhood, and faith in America’s ideals. Following the 50-minute film, I will discuss the making of the documentary, answer any questions from the audience and introduce the film’s producer, Arthur Collins Jr.

Join Emmy-nominated Director, Robert Child for a screening of "Serving For Justice: The Story of the 333rd Field Artillery Battallion."

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THIS LINK

I wanted to share one of the distinguished historian reviews we have received. It is from US Army Colonel (Ret.) Robert Scherer Historian of the 12th Armored Division Association. We are honored he has shared his thoughts and kind words with us on the film. His review is below.

"Serving for Justice tells a story that needs to be told, and it is told well. The research that went into producing this film and the skill with which it was done are laudable. The initial ten minutes provides an excellent, albeit short history of the black experience up to WWII. I hope the producers will devote an entire movie to that experience in the future. The history of the men who enlisted or were inducted, trained, deployed, and fought in the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion is an American story that could be told of any of the 16 million personnel who wore our uniform in WWII. The fact that these men and others like them who happened to be African-American operated under a continual cloud of racism and yet performed just like any other American Soldier, some very good and some not as good, is what is remarkable. As the colloquialism says, they went into the fight with one hand tied behind their backs. The key part is they went into the fight! The producers have done an amazing job telling the story of the unit up to and including its participation in the Battle of the Bulge and the war crimes committed on the men we now know as the Wereth Eleven. The end story of the ultimate acknowledgement of the crime and the memorial erected and dedicated in their honor and memory is critical to our history. I highly recommend this film. It is historically accurate to my knowledge and very well done."

Robert W. Scherer
COL (Retired), US Army
Historian, 12th Armored Division Association
Board Member 12th Armored Division Memorial Museum

Serving for Justice: The Story of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion 

Amidst the horrors and indignities of Jim Crow America, one million African Americans served their country to protect democracy abroad and expand it at home during World War II. This documentary tells of a combat unit struggling to succeed in battle, proving their full-citizenship when their lives seemed to matter less. Here is a story of fortitude, brotherhood, and faith in America's ideals.

Serving for Justice: The Story of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion was produced by Ebony Doughboys, and written and directed by Robert Child.

"Serving for Justice is about the history of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion. It covers a wide swath of black history from the early Jim Crow laws and how the African American experience unfolded in America and how it shaped the men who would go on to fight in World War II," said Director Robert Child.

"Originally produced for the American Embassy in Belgium, this project has grown from that original mission. To say it is timely would be quite an understatement but it goes to show that racial inequality has been with us a long while and has not been addressed properly. Perhaps now more voices are speaking up and positive change will come about. Time will tell. I am pleased, however that the work I have done in this area has continued to be noticed."

The film was produced by Ebony Doughboys, a group of African American living historians who are focused on telling the story of the outstanding record of service of African Americans during the First World War. Founded in 2014, the group is the offshoot of other African American re-enactors who for many years educated and enlightened the public on the involvement of African Americans in World War I. Today, the group forms an overarching structure for African American reenactors who hail from the east coast, the mid-west and the southern United States.

Ebony Doughboys statement:

"As a basis of our historical interpretation, we engage in the extensive research of the role of African Americans during this period by studying and reading personal accounts, archived sources, photographs and other source material. We examine photographs and original garments, accoutrements and weapons to gain a thorough understanding of the original Ebony Doughboys. We strive to reach a consistent, high level of authenticity in our appearance, realizing that as our knowledge grows, our standards for authenticity will also evolve. Members are expected to present themselves to the public with military deportment, an open-mindedness for learning, and a commitment to educating, dispelling myths, and building bridges of understanding."

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About Ghost Carrier:

Synopsis:

Amidst the horrors and indignities of Jim Crow America, one million African Americans served their country to protect democracy abroad and expand it at home during World War II. The new documentary tells a unit struggling to succeed in battle, proving their full-citizenship when their lives seemed to matter less. Serving for Justice: The Story of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion is a story of fortitude, brotherhood, and faith in America's ideals. 

 I hope you can check out the new film, which will debut on Amazon Prime this Friday November 6th.