In September 1998, Milton Graham received a package in the mail at his home in Oxnard. It was a package he had waited more than 50 years to get.

Within the small confines of the cardboard box was a letter and a blue case containing the medals he earned during World War II, but never received.

After signing a petition started by a fellow former "Negro Volunteer," Graham and other members of the 69th Infantry Division who had been overlooked were finally recognized for their contributions during the conflict.

There was no formal ceremony and the salute came in written form, but a wall had been torn down.

"It was like we were finally recognized as Americans," he said.

A country divided

Graham, 85, was among 1.2 million blacks who were either drafted or volunteered for military duty during a time when segregation still plagued much of the country. He, like most other blacks who served, was assigned to a labor battalion and sent to basic training, where he was separated from other soldiers.

"We didn't ask any questions," he recalled. "We knew that that was just the way the system worked."

That system had become all too familiar. As a child in Louisiana, Graham had been exposed to the injustices of racial prejudice.

"My parents tried to keep us away from it as much as possible," he recalled, "but there were plenty of times we were called the N-word."

In 1941, Graham enrolled in Grambling State University but decided to leave after his first semester to enlist as an Army Reserve. By February 1943, he was training for combat in Europe.

Graham completed his basic training at Camp Eustis, Va. From there, he was sent to an all-black unit at Camp Hood, Texas, to train on tank destroyers.

"Before Camp Hood we had been assigned to the backside of every base along the way," he said. "We were completely isolated and got individual training. We rarely saw the guys we'd be fighting alongside."

Graham was sent back to Louisiana to serve as part of a port battalion. It traveled throughout the United States until December 1944, when he was assigned to a Negro Volunteer Unit attached to the 69th Infantry Division.

"We met up with everyone on the front lines in France," he said. "It was a nightmare, but I wasn't afraid. I felt that we had something to prove, and I wasn't about to let my guard down."

Camaraderie on the front

The extreme conditions of combat throughout Europe didn't leave much room for hostility. The segregation Graham knew at home was nearly forgotten, and the tragedy of war was at the forefront of every soldier's mind.

"It wasn't like it was during training," said Graham. "We fought together, side by side. The blacks had a point to make about what we were worth and the whites saw firsthand that we were going to fight just as hard."

However, the harsh reality of the racism that existed beyond the front lines showed itself in the words of those native to Europe.

"We would come across a lot of people who lived in France and Germany," he said. "They had been told that all blacks have tails and asked us in all seriousness about them. It was another aspect we had to ignore."

Within two months of landing in France, Graham had fought his way into Germany. He was sent home in May 1945.

The young sergeant did not return alone.

Rose Schnaitter was a young woman from Germany whom he met while on a short leave. The two were married and planned to start their life together in Louisiana.

"Things were still pretty bad when we came home," said Graham. "People didn't want to see a black man married to a white woman."

Jobs were hard to come by as well.

"There still weren't many opportunities for blacks after the war," he said. "Every trade I knew I learned in the Army."

Graham continued his service in the Army until November 1947 when he re-enlisted, this time as a member of the U.S. Air Force. He served throughout Europe and the Philippines and eventually returned to the United States and worked as a flight instructor. He retired on Aug. 1, 1968.

"I made a promise to my father before I left for the war," said Graham. "I told him that I would move to California to be closer to my brothers and raise my family where things weren't as bad."

Graham kept his promise and moved to California later that year.

Finding justice

"I looked into why I never received any medals for the war," he said. "They showed me the roster for the 69th and all the blacks had been taken off. It was like we were never there."

The Negro Volunteer petition Graham signed was not the only one of its kind. Hundreds of similar petitions were circulated in a new battle the black soldiers were fighting. This time it was about dignity.

"We fought for more than freedom," he said. "We fought for respect and for a better life for people of all colors."

It was a fight they vowed to win.

Of the blacks who served in combat during World War II, seven were given the Medal of Honor. Six of those recipients were recognized posthumously.

"You read and hear about Dori Miller now, but that only started after he died," he said, referring to the first black to receive a medal for outstanding service in the military. "There were a lot of people like him who were never recognized but still learned to endure and look beyond the barriers."

Of War and Life is a biweekly column by Jannette Jauregui that tells the stories of Ventura County's veterans. Jauregui is the media relations coordinator for California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. Veterans who want to share their stories can contact her by e-mail at jmjaureg@callutheran.edu or by mail at Jannette Jauregui, c/o Ventura County Star editorial department, P.O. Box 6006, Camarillo, CA 93011.