Twice Forgotten

“In this exceptionally researched volume, Cline shows that the act of desegregating was far more complicated than expected. . . . Readers will appreciate the wide variety of voices represented, including various military branches as well as officers and enlisted men and women from different regions of the United States. . . . This is an essential, insightful read on an often-overlooked subject, for those interested in military history and African American history.”—Library Journal, starred review

“Richly detailed and thoughtfully presented, this is a treasure chest of insight into the Black military experience.”—Publishers Weekly

“A major contribution not only to U.S. military history but also to the history of the American civil rights movement.”—Journal of American History

“This comprehensive account of Black service in Korea makes an invaluable contribution to American military historiography and scholarship on the civil rights movement.”—Journal of Southern History

“Impeccably researched, the book does justice to its subject matter.”—Southwestern Historical Quarterly

“Twice Forgotten is an effort to bring attention to [Black Korean War veterans’] stories by collecting oral histories that allow them to speak about their experiences in their own terms. . . . [A] welcome contribution to scholarship on Black veterans to tell their own stories. It will be of interest to scholars of the mid-twentieth-century civil rights movement as well as those interested in experiences of war and military service.”—African American Review

“An impressive oral history of African American soldiers in the Korean War and the impact that these returning veterans had on the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement in the US. Drawing from a wealth of primary and secondary sources, including a plethora of oral histories conducted by the author, Cline highlights the nexus between the larger Cold War and the local battles against Jim Crow on the home front . . . .highly recommended.”—CHOICE

“An outstanding and necessary book, Twice Forgotten makes a compelling argument for the Korean War as central to the midcentury civil rights movement. Lovely and clear, devastating and bracing, the book’s oral histories capture the perennial dilemma of Black soldiers fighting for a democracy denied them and the fearsome determination of those committed to change. Cline’s work offers a model for deep, compassionate, and righteous listening.”—Adriane Lentz-Smith, author of Freedom Struggles: African Americans and World War I

“Drawing upon extensive archival and oral history research, this book offers a nuanced view of desegregation in the military, a deep examination of the Korean War experience from the African American perspective, and, finally, a connection between the experiences of African American veterans and elements of the civil rights movement in the United States that both preceded and followed the Korean War. This is an ambitious undertaking and yet also an easy and enjoyable read with a logical and organized flow. It offers a rich view of a topic in tremendous need of exactly this kind of comprehensive examination.”—Doug Boyd, director of the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History at the University of Kentucky Libraries

“This is a majestic work, rigorously researched and compellingly argued. The first-person narratives of African American service members are nothing less than epic stories of struggle and survival, where the battle begins long before one even steps foot on the battlefield. Arriving at a time when military service, racial equity, and national security are once again part of the national debate, Cline’s book deserves a broad audience.”—Paul Ortiz, author of An African American and Latinx History of the United States