Leon Bass was born in Philadelphia, PA in 1925. He joined the US Army in 1943 and served as a member of the all-Black 183rd Engineer Combat Battalion attached to General Patton's Third Army. Leon's unit was involved in the Battle of the Bulge as well as the liberation of Buchenwald. After the war, Leon went on to receive his doctorate, teach, and speak about the Holocaust and racism.
In this interview, Leon describes the racism and segregation he faced in the United States during the 1940s and how it impacted his feelings about having joined the US Army.
But I think, uh, at this time, I wanted to get out of the army. I'll be very honest with you. After my experiences, I really did not want to be in this man's army. And, uh, especially after having to stand on a bus when there were no seats in the back. Having to stand up for 100 miles looking at empty seats. Yeah, that didn't endear me to, to my country. Um, couldn't eat in a restaurant, had to go around the back and knock on the door to get food. And, and I'm in a uniform. And I saw P.W.'s – prisoners of war from Germany – being allowed to go into a restaurant to sit down to eat. And yet, I was not entitled to, for that same opportunity. So, it left me with a bitter taste.
We would like to thank Crown Family Philanthropies, Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation, the Claims Conference, EVZ, and BMF for supporting the ongoing work to create content and resources for the Holocaust Encyclopedia. View the list of donor acknowledgement.
