Bill Lee: “I can remember very vividly men in uniform, black men in uniform, being denied entrance to a restaurant or to a movie…”

“I can remember very vividly men in uniform, black men in uniform, being denied entrance to a restaurant or to a movie theater, or being forced to go to a water fountain that said 'Colored Only,' in uniform. I can remember this. I have so many unfortunate memories of proud African American men in their uniforms being turned away, being discriminated against for one reason, and that is because they were black. I think that they are true heroes, they are true patriots; and I hope that history will record their service to this great country. But also I think we need to make sure that history is accurate in its writing and in its history and not cloud over the fact that men in uniform did not have equal access to basic kinds of services, such as a water fountain.”