Proudly We Served: The Men of the USS Mason 1996
Distributed by Janson Media, 88 Semmons Road, Harrington Park, NJ 07640; 201-784-8488
Produced by Mary Pat Kelly; Oshunyomi Mugwana; Onikwa Bill Wallace
Directed by Mary Pat Kelly
DVD, color and b&w, 58 min.
Jr. High - General Adult
African American Studies, History, Military Studies
Date Entered: 11/01/2011
Reviewed by Scott S. Richmond, Reference and Instruction Librarian, Daniel A. Reed Library, State University of New York at FredoniaThis short documentary employs an interesting mixture of personal narratives, archival footage and photographs to tell the story behind the USS Mason (DE 529) and its crew, the only African-American sailors to take a U.S. Navy warship into battle during World War II. The documentary also offers a brief, historic overview of the myriad of obstacles faced by African Americans in the United States Armed Forces, from the American Revolution to World War II. This documentary is a first rate introduction into several different disciplines, including American history, military history and African American history and could be used in junior high through college classrooms. Despite the age of the film, produced in 1996, the cinematography and sound quality are excellent. The DVD also features a “Bonus Feature” photo gallery, which consists of an approximately six-minute slide show of photographs with captions. This film would be a great addition to any library, public or academic, or classroom collection.