An Analysis of Inman’s War: Chapters 1-3, Book Review Example

Jeffrey Copeland, the author, put this book together from an acquisition he made of an old suitcase at a flea market. Inside the suitcase was a package of 150 letters from a Black soldier in World War II. In Chapter 1, “Destination,” we get an introduction to the four main characters: Inman, Olivia, Doc, and Williams. Copeland’s assessment of Inman Perkins’ wartime thoughts leads to the conclusion that the wounds of the Black men who fought in World War II had their wounds sealed and not healed by the passage of time (Chappell, 1995).

The story begins as the author combines two specific locations to build the setting. The first is the caboose on the troop train. The other is the base at Davis-Monthan Field. The first thing that Inman, Doc, and Williams notice is a sign that says, “Loose lips sink ships.” This was a popular catch phrase during this time. It means that spies are all about, and what you say in a letter or to someone in person or on the phone could lead to military intelligence falling into the hands of the enemy. “Call me stupid, but I didn’t think it would be like this,” Doc says (Copeland, 32). What he meant by that was that the military was the military. He did not think that overt segregation would exist there.

At the end of Chapter 4, Inman says, in he short time I had known them we had been traveling companions, baseball players, barracks cleaners –and even ghosts together. My father used to tell me it was friendship, not money, that made one rich. In that case, I was feeling wealthy. Very wealthy (Copeland, 42).

What he meant by this is simple. He had a wealth of good feelings from those with whom he was living. Going into the military was a culture shock for Sergeant Perkins (Inman). Before the war, he had earned a Master’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Iowa. Both of his parents were college graduates. Upon entering the army, he experienced a kind of racism that he had only heard about before.

When Inman and his unit left Davis-Monthan Field, near Tucson, Arizona, after being taught its jobs for service, he said, “I wasn’t going to miss that place” (Copeland, p. 44). That was understandable, for he and his friends were assigned menial, maid-type jobs there. He and his company were made to feel like second-class soldiers; yet, Inman is careful in his writing not to sound like he is whining as he writes about inequality.

After its stint in Arizona, Inman’s unit moved on to its assignment, the 449^th Signal Construction Battalion of the Army Air Corps. When Inman told his men that they were forming “a brand new outfit,” (Copeland, 49), they react to the news as if better days were ahead for them. Today, an assignment to this kind of military work comes through the Air Force, a branch of military service that was not established until 1948.

“Scuttlebutt” became the buzzword around the men. “Scuttlebutt” was like gossip. It was what people were saying about their new assignment with the Signal Corps. Rumors flew about what would be happening with the war and how these men would be called on for service.

“Scuttlebutt” gave the men new things to talk about while they waited for truth.

The men played the children’s game, “Simon Says (Coplend, 64), to help them to follow orders correctly. The game was always harder than it appeared, just as following orders sounds easier than it really is. This game provided simultaneous work and merriment for the men.

In one of their classes in basic training, an instructor says, “Those in the Army Air Corps hold the fate of the war in their hands” (Copeland, 69). What he meant by this statement is that the Air Corps had the role of softening enemy lines with aerial bombardments so the ground forces could move in, supplied by navel strength, to take possession of land. The Air Corps provided the initial, offensive movements of combat.

The historical aspect presented here was the first person telling of what it was like for men of African-American descent to acclimate to a White-controlled military. Sergeant Perkins had to shepherd his men, many of whom had not been away from home before, on how to do everything from their military jobs to keeping their morals pure during their times of leave. This was a time of sweeping change. Not long after this, President Truman would desegregate the U. S. Military. Inman’s War presents the last days of military practices of segregation.

This story has contemporary relevance because the military finds itself again in a state of possible shift in its policies of operation. When Inman was fighting his war, race was a factor in war just as it was at home during peace. Jim Crow laws were the laws. Today, the military is re-evaluating its longtime policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell” with its gay and lesbian service personnel, at a time that these underrepresented constituencies are fighting for increased rights as citizens.

Works Cited

Chappell, Kevin. “Blacks in World War II.” Ebony, September 1.

Copeland, Jeffrey. Inman’s War: A Soldier’s Story of Life in a colored battalion in WWII. St. Paul, MN (2006).