No blacks stationed at Icelandic AFB

[snopes]

Comment: I came across a blog discussion regarding the US Air Force base
in Keflavik, Iceland, which was apparently closed a few years ago. People
are contending that, according to a secret protocol, accepted by the US,
no blacks were ever stationed there for decades. Is there any merit to
this claim? I haven't been able to find anything substantiated about this
issue.

[A Turtle Named Mack]

I tried googling and did not find anything right away on this. However, since the U.S. military was segregated until the early 1950s, it is very likely that there would be no black service personnel from the base's establishment in i 1940-41 until integration of the units. This would not be because of any agreement peculiar to Iceland, but just the predictable result of segregation.

[CannonFodder]

I was stationed on NAS Keflavik from 1988 thru 1990. I can assure you there were black sailors and airmen there at the time.

[Malruhn]

My father-in-law helped build the airfield there - and worked side by side with Black soldiers.

They were there in the early 1950's.

[hardhead]

I was stationed at the Naval Air Station Keflavik in 1976 and 1977. There were African-American sailors there then. I was told during the mandatory indoctrination sessions that the Icelandic government refused to allow Blacks to even leave their ships during WWII, but that the policies where recinded in the early 50's when we integrated the armed forces.

Of course I don't believe this claim for one moment. On that note, if someone were to believe this then I would have to wonder what the point would be/what benefit it would supposedly bring to have a policy against having black servicemembers at any one specific location.

[UEL]

Originally Posted by CannonFodder

I was stationed on NAS Keflavik from 1988 thru 1990. I can assure you there were black sailors and airmen there at the time.

During my return from the Balkans in 2001, we landed at Keflavik. There were, indeed, African American service members there.

[aside]Four damned hours at the airport and not one of us thought to bring American money. Canadian dollars and German Marks just weren't good enough.[/aside]

[Spam & Cookies-mmm]

Originally Posted by CannonFodder

I was stationed on NAS Keflavik from 1988 thru 1990. I can assure you there were black sailors and airmen there at the time.

Originally Posted by Malruhn

My father-in-law helped build the airfield there - and worked side by side with Black soldiers.

Originally Posted by hardhead

I was stationed at the Naval Air Station Keflavik in 1976 and 1977. There were African-American sailors there then.

Originally Posted by UEL

During my return from the Balkans in 2001, we landed at Keflavik. There were, indeed, African American service members there.

Of course, you'd have to say that, wouldn't you? You're all part of the conspiracy.

[AnglRdr]

I, too, am a part of the conspiracy. Two of the people I served with in New Hampshire had been stationed together in Keflavik. And, sure enough, one of them was Jamaican and black. This was in the early 90s though.

[A Turtle Named Mack]

Okay, we have first and second hand accounts of black service members at Keflavik from the early 50s onward. Since the very early 50s was when the military integrated, it would seem that the lack of black service members in Keflavik was related to the segregation. The possibility remians that Iceland specified 'no blacks' or that the military thought that people whose ancestors came from tropical climates could not handle the weather of Iceland, but everything we have established follows the 'desegregation' explanation.

[Christie]

Originally Posted by A Turtle Named Mack

Okay, we have first and second hand accounts of black service members at Keflavik from the early 50s onward. Since the very early 50s was when the military integrated, it would seem that the lack of black service members in Keflavik was related to the segregation. The possibility remians that Iceland specified 'no blacks' or that the military thought that people whose ancestors came from tropical climates could not handle the weather of Iceland, but everything we have established follows the 'desegregation' explanation.

Actually according to what Hardhead posted it sounds more like Iceland had the problem with African American personnel.

Originally Posted by snopes

Comment: I came across a blog discussion regarding the US Air Force base
in Keflavik, Iceland, which was apparently closed a few years ago. People
are contending that, according to a secret protocol, accepted by the US,
no blacks were ever stationed there for decades. Is there any merit to
this claim? I haven't been able to find anything substantiated about this
issue.

I was stationed at Keflavik, Iceland with the 57th Fighter Squadron from 1954-1955. We had no Blacks stationed on the base at that time. The Icelandic's very much were in control of the base and their police patrolled the base. They could and did invade our quonset huts on occasions to insure we did not have Icelandic girls in our quarters. You could not be in town after sunset. The rumor was there was a regulation that did not allow Blacks to be stationed on the base because that is what the Icelandic government decreed. I cannot be sure but I think I may have seen a copy of such a regulation or agreement & it was marked SECRET. We had Air Force, Army, and Navy stationed on the base. To not have a single Black would have been statistically improbable. Civilian airlines and military aircraft used this base as a refueling stop so there were Blacks on board some of these aircraft. But I never saw one leave the civilian terminal in my year there. I was transferred from the 437th FIS at Otis to Iceland. My Commander at Otis AFB was Major Chappie James. He later became a 4 star general and the highest ranking Black officer in the Air Force. That was a long time ago (53 years). A lot of aircraft were lost near Iceland due to the very bad weather and ice. Most aircraft had to refuel on Atlantic crossings in those days. My fighter the F-89C had to be towed to the end of the runway on a day with good winds in order to fly to Harmon, New Foundland and you landed with fumes. While I was there the first ever commercial trans Atlantic crossing of a civilian passenger jet landed for refueling. I am thinking it was a Boeing 707. I bet everyone on the crew of that jet was approaching 60 except the stewardess as this was the senior crew for the airline.

The source of the rumour may be that the Icelandic government (or someone in it) asked the US not to send any black soldiers, but the US refused and did so anyway. During World War 2, some officials in England, as well as in some of the governments in exile, reportedly made similar requests which were ignored.

http://www.heretical.com/smith/wwar2.html


Taken