nnel, USMC, for
Dir, Div of Plans and Policies, 22 Dec 49, Hist
Div, HQMC.]

[Footnote 15-29: Memo, Dep CS/Pers for SecAF, 28 Dec
49; Memo, Clarence H. Osthagen, Asst to SecAF, for
Asst SecAF, 6 Jan 50; Rcd of Telecon, Halaby with
Zuckert, 10 Jan 50. All in SecAF files.]

[Footnote 15-30: Memo, SecNav for SecDef, 3 Jan 50,
sub: Foreign Assignment of Negro Personnel, CD
30-1-4, SecDef files.]

[Footnote 15-31: Memo, NEH (Halaby) for Maj Gen J. H.
Burns, 10 Feb 50, attached to Ltr, Burns to Rusk,
13 Feb 50, CD 30-1-4, SecDef files.]

Maj. Gen. James H. Burns, Secretary Johnson's assistant for foreign
military affairs, put the matter to the State Department, and James
Evans followed up by discussing it with Rusk. Reassured by these
consultations, Secretary Johnson issued a more definitive policy
statement for the services on 5 April explaining that "the Department
of State endorses the policy of freely assigning Negro personnel or
Negro or non-segregated units to any part of the world to which US
forces are sent; it is prepared to support the desires of the
Department of Defense in this respect."[15-32] Nevertheless, since
certain governments had from time to time indicated an unwillingness
to accept black servicemen, Johnson directed the services to inform
him in advance when black troops were to be dispatched to countries
where no blacks were then stationed so that host countries might be
consulted. This new statement produced immediate reaction in the
services. Citing a change in policy, the Air Force issued directives
opening all overseas assignments except Iceland to Negroes. After an
extended discussion on the assignment of black troops to the Trieste
(TRUST) area, the Army followed suit.[15-33]

[Footnote 15-32: Memo, SecDef for SA et al., 5 Apr 50,
sub: Foreign Assignment of Negro Personnel; Ltr,
Dean Rusk to Maj Gen Burns, 1 Mar 50; Memo, Burns
for SecDef, 3 Apr 50. All in CD 30-1-4, SecDef
files.]

[Footnote 15-33: DF, ACS, G-1, for CSA, 3 Dec 52, sub:
Restricted Distribution of Negro Personnel; ibid.,
30 Mar 53, sub: Assignment of N