Courage has no color : the true story of the Triple Nickles : America's first Black paratroopers

Format:

Book

Title:

Courage has no color : the true story of the Triple Nickles : America's first Black paratroopers

Other title(s):

Triple Nickles

America's first Black paratroopers

Author:

Stone, Tanya Lee.

ISBN:

9780763651176

9780763665487

9781480628892

Edition:

First edition.

Publication:

Somerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press, 2013.

Physical Description:

147, [1] pages : illustrations, portraits ; 26 cm

General Note:

"A junior library guild selection"--Jacket flap.

"Foreword by Ashley Bryan"--Cover.

Contents:

Courage has no color -- Soldiers, not servants -- I'm going to tell you a secret -- I had a mission that was [above] and beyond me -- Bets were made that Blacks would never jump -- We were going to tangle with Hitler -- We were soldiers, we did what we had to do -- The Army had no place for us -- We will have a colorless society one day -- The story behind the story.

Summary:

Examines the role of African-Americans in the military through the history of the Triple Nickles, America's first black paratroopers, who fought against attacks perpetrated on the American West by the Japanese during World War II.

Reading Level:

1090 Lexile.

Grade 5-up.

Program Information:

Accelerated Reader MG 8 5.

Reading Counts 6-8 10 9.

Corporate Subject:

United States. Army. Parachute Infantry Battalion, 555th -- History -- Juvenile literature.

United States. Army -- African American troops -- History -- 20th century -- Juvenile literature.

United States. Army -- Parachute troops -- History -- 20th century -- Juvenile literature.

United States. Army. Parachute Infantry Battalion, 555th -- History.

United States. Army -- African American troops -- History.

United States. Army

United States. Army. Parachute Infantry Battalion, 555th

Subject(s):

United States. Army. Parachute Infantry Battalion, 555th -- History -- Juvenile literature.

United States. Army -- African American troops -- History -- 20th century -- Juvenile literature.

United States. Army -- Parachute troops -- History -- 20th century -- Juvenile literature.

United States. Army. Parachute Infantry Battalion, 555th -- History.

United States. Army -- African American troops -- History.

World War, 1939-1945 -- Regimental histories -- United States -- Juvenile literature.

World War, 1939-1945 -- Participation, African American -- Juvenile literature.

World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Western Front -- Juvenile literature.

African American soldiers -- History -- 20th century -- Juvenile literature.

African Americans -- Social conditions -- To 1964 -- Juvenile literature.

Race discrimination -- United States -- Juvenile literature.

World War, 1939-1945 -- Regimental histories -- United States.

World War, 1939-1945 -- Participation, African American.

World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Western Front.

African American soldiers -- History.

African Americans -- Social conditions.

Race discrimination.

United States -- Army -- Parachute troops.

Geographic Term:

United States -- Army -- Parachute troops.

United States

Western Front (World War (1939-1945))

Genre:

History

Juvenile works

Photographs -- 2103.

Young adult non-fiction.

Young adult literature.

Added Author:

Bryan, Ashley

Added Corporate Author:

Candlewick Press,

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Monmouth Public Library	J 940.54 STONE 2013	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Library	YA 940.54 STO	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Newberg Public Library	940.5412 STONE	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Salem Main Library	J 356.166 Stone 2013	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

They became America's first black paratroopers. Why was their story never told? Sibert Medalist Tanya Lee Stone reveals the history of the Triple Nickles during World War II.

World War II is raging, and thousands of American soldiers are fighting overseas against the injustices brought on by Hitler. Back on the home front, the injustice of discrimination against African Americans plays out as much on Main Street as in the military. Enlisted black men are segregated from white soldiers and regularly relegated to service duties. At Fort Benning, Georgia, First Sergeant Walter Morris's men serve as guards at The Parachute School, while the white soldiers prepare to be paratroopers. Morris knows that for his men to be treated like soldiers, they have to train and act like them, but would the military elite and politicians recognize the potential of these men as well as their passion for serving their country? Tanya Lee Stone examines the role of African Americans in the military through the history of the Triple Nickles, America's first black paratroopers, who fought in a little-known attack on the American West by the Japanese. The 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, in the words of Morris, "proved that the color of a man had nothing to do with his ability."

From Courage Has No Color
What did it take to be a paratrooper in World War II? Specialized training, extreme physical fitness, courage, and -- until the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion (the Triple Nickles) was formed -- white skin. It is 1943. Americans are overseas fighting World War II to help keep the world safe from Adolf Hitler's tyranny, safe from injustice, safe from discrimination. Yet right here at home, people with white skin have rights that people with black skin do not. What is courage? What is strength? Perhaps it is being ready to fight for your nation even when your nation isn't ready to fight for you. Front matter includes a foreword by Ashley Bryan. Back matter includes an author's note, an appendix, a time line, source notes, a bibliography, and an index.

Author Notes

Tanya Lee Stone studied English at Oberlin College and was an editor of children's nonfiction for many years. She also has a Masters Degree. She teaches writing at Champlain College. After many years as an editor. Tanya moved to Vermont and returned to writing. This award-winning author has written titles that include the young adult novel, A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl, Up Close: Ella Fitzgerald , picture books Elizabeth Leads the Way, Sandy's Circus, and Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors? She has also written narrative nonfiction with her titles: Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream, and The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie. In 2014 her title, Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles, made The New York Times Best Seller List.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (5)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 5 Up-Stone's book (Candlewick, 2013) presents a history of racial segregation and integration in the U.S. military during World War II and a relatively unknown but important group of unsung heroes. Initially, a group of African-American soldiers served as guards at the Parachute School at Fort Benning, GA, while their white counterparts were trained to be paratroopers. Battling prejudice and resistance from military and political leaders, these enlisted men became part of the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, and were known as the Triple Nickles. The fully trained unit was not wanted on either the European or the Pacific war fronts, but they served the war effort as fire jumpers in our Pacific Northwest. At first, it seemed that they were just there to fight forest fires, but, unknown to most Americans, the Japanese had started sending balloon bombs to our shores. Most of these bombs didn't detonate, but they needed to be found and disarmed without alerting residents or letting the Japanese know that their bombs had reached our shores. The Triple Nickles discreetly searched the forests and disarmed the bombs to keep Americans safe. At the end of the war, the Triple Nickles were integrated into a previously all-white military unit. In 1948, President Truman ordered the integration of all military branches. JD Jackson ably narrates, bringing the account to life. Be sure to have the print version of this expertly researched book available so listeners can peruse the photos that perfectly complement the narrative.-Ann Weber, Bellarmine College Prep., San Jose, CA. (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

Stone (Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream) opens with an enticing question, "What is it like to jump out of an airplane?" The answer, which lets readers imagine doing just that as a paratrooper, will immediately draw them into this thorough story of the U.S. military's first black paratroopers. More than just an account of their endeavors during WWII, the narrative takes on a broader perspective as it contextualizes the story of the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion. Set against the entrenched racism of the 1940s, the nine chapters include asides about media stereotypes regarding African-Americans and how photographs of black soldiers were often left out of the military record. Myriad quotations from personal interviews and more than 100 b&w photos reveal the heroism and perseverance of these groundbreaking men. While they didn't see combat (they were instead sent out West to become smoke jumpers), Stone's final chapters reveal how the Triple Nickles' service helped integrate both the military and society at large. A captivating look at a small but significant piece of military and civil rights history. Ages 10-up. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Horn Book Review

"How does one survive and outlast the racism that was our daily fare at that time?" asks artist Ashley Bryan in the foreword to this fine work about the treatment of black soldiers during World War II. With the spectacular success of the Air Force's Tuskegee Airmen, President Roosevelt ordered the formation of an all-black Army paratrooper unit, the 555th Parachute Infantry Company, nicknamed the Triple Nickles. But the Triple Nickles didn't actually fight anywhere, as white soldiers didn't want to fight alongside black soldiers. They weren't allowed into restaurants and movie theaters, their housing was substandard, and they weren't even given access to ammunition. Eventually, they put their training to use as smokejumpers in the forests of the western United States. Though they did help to pave the way for a more integrated military in later wars, their story in World War II was one of frustration. The book's focus is wide: there are excellent sections on segregation and stereotypes in American history, Japanese American internment camps, Japanese balloon bombs, the Battle of the Bulge, and Operation Firefly, brought to life with archival photographs and Stone's always clear prose. Readers may not find an exciting tale of wartime heroics here, but they will find a story of subtle forms of courage and unexpected ways soldiers can serve their country. Backmatter includes a timeline, chapter-by-chapter source notes, a bibliography, and an index. dean schneider (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Review

The fascinating untold story of the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, America's first black paratroopers. While white American soldiers battled Hitler's tyranny overseas, African-Americans who enlisted to fight for their country faced the tyranny of racial discrimination on the homefront. Segregated from white soldiers and relegated to service duties and menial tasks, enlisted black men faced what Ashley Bryan calls in the foreword "the racism that was our daily fare at the time." When 1st Sgt. Walter Morris, whose men served as guards at The Parachute School at Fort Benning, saw white soldiers training to be paratroopers, he knew his men would have to train and act like them to be treated like soldiers. Daring initiative and leadership led to the creation of the "Triple Nickles." Defying the deeply ingrained stereotypes of the time, the Triple Nickles proved themselves as capable and tough as any white soldiers, but they were never used in combat, serving instead as smoke jumpers extinguishing Japanese-ignited forest fires in the Pacific Northwest. Stone's richly layered narrative explores the cultural and institutional prejudices of the time as well as the history of African-Americans in the military. Her interviews with veterans of the unit provide groundbreaking insight. Among the archival illustrations in this handsomely designed book are drawings Bryan created while he served in World War II. An exceptionally well-researched, lovingly crafted and important tribute to unsung American heroes. (photographs, chronology, sources note, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 10 up)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

*Starred Review* Starting with a riveting opening that puts readers into the shoes of a paratrooper on a training flight, this large-format book offers an informative introduction to the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion. Known as the Triple Nickles, they were America's first black paratrooper unit. Though WWII brought increased racial integration to the military, the pace was painfully slow. This book traces the paratroopers' story through their training and their long wait for orders to join the fighting overseas-orders that never came. Instead, the Triple Nickles were sent to fight fires in remote areas of western states. Decades passed before the men were officially honored for service to their country. Written with great immediacy, clarity, and authority, Stone's vivid narrative draws readers into the Triple Nickles' wartime experiences. Many well-chosen quotes enhance the text, while excellent black-and-white illustrations, mainly photos, document both the men of the 555th and the racial prejudice on the home front. Adding another personal perspective, artist and writer Ashley Bryan, an African American veteran of WWII, contributes the book's foreword, a drawing, and a painting from the period. This handsome volume documents the sometimes harrowing, often frustrating, and ultimately rewarding experiences of the Triple Nickles.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2010 Booklist