By Kathryn Floyd
Submitted by Kathryn Floyd
World War II veteran TJ Dowdy will be honored tomorrow at the annual Veterans’ Day Salute Breakfast Watch Party as a member of the segregated Tank.
Battalion that trained at Fort Benning in Georgia. Dowdy, who was inducted into the army on May 11, 1943, trained in tank maintenance, loading of weaponry, and supply.
After three months of training, the unit was deployed to Normandy, France where it offered valuable support to on-the-ground troops. Dowdy’s unit was also ordered to drive tanks to
Czechoslovakia to stop Germany’s push into other eastern bloc countries. He was discharged on April 3, 1946.
While the armed services were segregated, there were African American units that served with honor, including the Black 92nd Infantry Division, or Buffalo Soldiers, the 100th Infantry Battalion, and the 442 Infantry Regiment. Their units are considered the most accomplished units during World War II. The Tuskegee Airmen elite piloting skills proved vital in escorting bombers during the war, and the airmen were in constant demand. The Tuskegee Airmen were finally recognized many years after World War II with the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007.
President Harry Truman would issue Executive Order 9981 officially ending segregation in the armed services, ensuring “equality of treatment and opportunity’ for all, paving the way for the armed services to integrate.
Dowdy relocated to Pompano Beach and was hired as a driver for Margaret Ann, which later became Winn Dixie, and retired after 41 years with the company. He resides in Fort Lauderdale with his daughter
and loves The Young and the Restless.
The breakfast will be held from 8 – 11 a.m., at the L.A. Lee YMCA/Mizell Community Center, 1409 NW Sixth Street Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311
Dowdy will also be honored Saturday at the Florida Panthers game with an interview conducted at his home to be aired during halftime.
