Congressman Cleaver Presents Medal of Honor Flag to Family of Private First Class Willy F. James, Jr., Honors Relative’s 103rd Birthday

"Yesterday, we honored the legacy of Private First Class Willy F. James, Jr.," said Congressman Cleaver. "This moment is deeply significant - not only for his loved ones, but for the broader community, as it represents a powerful testament to the courage, sacrifice, and enduring impact of James' service. It is a poignant reminder of the values that unite us, and the profound contributions made by those who have served with extraordinary bravery.

Private First Class Willy James, Jr. was born on March 18, 1920 and raised in Kansas City, Missouri where he worked at Katz Drug Store before joining the Army in September of 1942. James responded to the call for Black volunteers to transfer to fighting units. Of the 4,500 African American men that applied, James was one of 2,500 soldiers selected for combat replacement training. Like others completing the training, James was placed in an African American platoon and attached to an all-white regiment. These African Americans were known as the 5^th Platoon.

Five days before Harry S. Truman became President of the United States, PFC James was killed in Germany in April 1945, while performing an act of bravery trying to save a fellow soldier. Originally PFC James was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his acts in Germany.

Unfortunately, PFC James did not live to see the Army he served integrated. This would come three long years after his death when President Truman issued Executive Order 9981 - an order that mandated the desegregation of the U.S. military.

In the late 1980s, the Department of Defense began to study the issue of why no African Americans were awarded the Medal of Honor during World Wars I and II. The investigation looked at historical documents, including Distinguished Service Cross Paperwork. It was determined that Black soldiers had been denied consideration for the Medal of Honor on the basis of race. The DOD put forward a total of seven men who deserved the Medal of Honor for their actions and Willy F. James, Jr. was one of them.

On January 13, 1997, President Bill Clinton awarded the Medal of Honor to seven African American World War II veterans, six of them posthumously, highlighting the commitment of the soldiers who sacrificed and died for a nation which still wasn't treating them equally.

The medal of Honor is the United States' highest award for military valor in action. Each recipient displayed in the moments that mattered - bravery, courage, sacrifice, integrity, a deep love for country, and a desire to always do what's right. Of the 3,538 Medals of Honor awarded, only 94 recipients have been African American.

"In 2002, the 107^th Congress created the Medal of Honor Flag for presentations to whom the Medal of Honor is awarded. Four years later, Congress expanded the authority to issue the flag to the primary next of kin of deceased honor recipients," said Congressman Cleaver. "With that expanded authority, it is an absolute honor to present the Medal of Honor Flag to Private First Class James' sister, Ms. Elizabeth Baldwin, who will celebrate her 103^rd birthday this year."

Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.