Do you want a medal? (Yes, actually…)
Vincy Mas this year: PM Gonsalves
Caribbean Life, February 4-10, 2022 35
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
You’d need that pin to get
in.
Put it on your chest and
you’d get access to an exclusive
club. The pin tells the world
what you did, that you were
elite, that you acted with honor.
If you earned the pin, you’d
wear it with pride. In “Immortal
Valor” by Robert Child, it’s
a beribboned thing that you’d
definitely deserved.
Almost since the birth of
this country, soldiers who have
exhibited bravery above and
beyond their normal duties
have been given medals for
military merit. Says Child,
almost 3,500 Medals of Honor
have been awarded so far in
the history of America; “Less
than 3 percent… have been
awarded to… African Americans…”
Of the 500 Medals of
Honor awarded for service during
World War II, just seven of
them went to Black soldiers.
That may not be a surprise.
Racism was an everyday occurrence
then and Black soldiers
“knew only segregation” which
“meant inequality.” Even so,
the men in this book didn’t let
racism stop them from serving
their country. It didn’t stop
them from exceptional acts.
Charles Thomas was working
at Ford in Dearborn, Michigan,
when he was drafted into
the Army. In the midst of battle
in Climbach, France, Thomas
was injured but continued to
lead his men.
If Vernon Baker hadn’t seen
much racism at home in Wyoming,
he surely saw it after he
enlisted in the Army. It was
never as blatant, though, as it
was when a white officer was
given credit “for the actions
which Baker performed…”
Willy James was killed trying
to reach “his fatally-wounded
platoon leader.” Edward Allen
Carter Jr. was 15 years old and
living in Shanghai with his
missionary family when he
volunteered to fight with the
Chinese; four years later, he
Book cover of “Immortal Valor” by Robert Child.
visited the American embassy
and asked to be assigned to
Abyssinia with the American
troops.
George Watson lost his life
attempting to save one. Ruben
Rivers went into the Army with
his younger brother. John Fox
left a prestigious college to
attend one with an ROTC program,
so strong was his desire
to serve…
So what makes these men
unique? Author Robert Child
explains the rest of the story:
in 1993, a study showed that
these men didn’t get the honors
for which they were recommended.
It took another
four years before they finally
received their medals, more
than five decades after wars’
end. Child tells readers how
this happened; he also says that
other men are still waiting.
That all makes “Immortal
Valor” part irritation, part history.
The former lies waiting,
wrapped in small biographies
of those men, Jim Crow tales,
and stories of valor so long
unrecognized. The latter could
be a bit of a challenge for civilians:
along with tales of American
society, it’s a lot of battlesand
dates information that,
even so, pulses with adrenaline,
blood, screams, and jawdropping
bravery.
Go into “Immortal Valor”
knowing this and you’ll burst
with outrage and pride at nearly
every word. Especially for
veterans and their families,
this is a book to pin down.
“Immortal Valor: The
Black Medal of Honor
Winners of World War II”
by Robert Child
c.2022, Osprey Publishing
/ Bloomsbury
$30.00
288 pages
Author of “Immortal Valor,” Robert Childs.
The prime minister noted that
the country experienced two difficult
years with the pandemic,
the volcanic eruption and Hurricane
Elsa, according to Loopnews.
“There is need for some kind
of collective relief, at least so we
think in Cabinet,” said Gonsalves,
adding that the Carnival Development
Corporation (CDC), organizer
of Vincy Mas, came with a
proposal for carnival this year,
taking into account the existing
protocols and levels of vaccination.
“Naturally, I raised the question:
what kind of carnival will
we have if we go for 70 per cent
vaccination by the end of March?”
Gonsalves said. “We will try to do
that in February and March, and
go on an all-out bigger campaign
than ever.
“This is not just a question of
getting the vaccine rate up, but
we need something bigger than
the slim down version of carnival,”
he added. “The idea is for us
to go on a mass campaign to up
the vaccination rate and to link it
also with the kind of Carnival we
will have.
“It is not something that is
opportunistic, but is something
that is strategic — both in terms
of health and for people to have
this release after this tremendous
strain and pressure, and part of
our quest to respair, a fresh hope
in life and living, and for us to
feel better,” Gonsalves continued.
“Healthy carnival activity is perfectly
normal and, if the priest
could play mas, who is we?”
As of Sunday, the health
authorities in St. Vincent and
the Grenadines had administered
some 63,669 doses of COVID-19
vaccines, according to Our Today.
“It is hoped that, over the
months of February and March,
they will be able to ramp up vaccination
efforts, with the hope
of vaccinating 70 per cent of the
80,000 people, who are 12 years
and older,” it said.
Promoted as “The Hottest
Carnival in the Caribbean,” the
carnival starts in the middle of
June, culminating on a Monday
and Tuesday at the start of July,
according to Offieholidays.com.
Usually, this takes place on the
first Monday and following Tuesday
in July, but can be switched to
the second Monday and following
Tuesday in some years, Officeholidays.
com said.
“Attracting thousands of tourists,
Vincy Mas is a colorful and
vibrant celebration of music,
dance and Vincentian heritage,”
it said. “Towns come alive with
street parties, calypso and steel
pan performances, costume
parades and much more.”
Continued from Page 33
/Offieholidays.com
