e program and
reviewed the reports from the commands, ready to investigate any
racial incidents or differences attributable to the new policy. The
staff had expected a certain amount of testing of the new policy by
both white and black troops, and with few exceptions the incidents
reported turned out to be little more than that. Some arose from
attempts by Negroes to win social acceptance at certain Air Force
installations, but the majority of cases involved attempts by white
airmen to introduce their black comrades into segregated off-base
restaurants and theaters. Two examples might stand for all. The first
involved a transient black corporal who stopped off at the Bolling Air
Force Base, Washington, D.C., to get a haircut in a post exchange
barbershop. He was refused service and in the absence of the post
exchange officer he returned to the shop to trade words and eventually
blows with the barber. The corporal was subsequently court-martialed,
but the sentence was set aside by a superior court.[16-40] Another
case involved a small group of white airmen who ordered refreshments
at a segregated lunch counter in San Antonio, Texas, for themselves
"and a friend who would join them later." The friend, of course, was a
black airman. The Inspector General reported this incident to be just
one of a number of attempts by groups of white and black airmen to
integrate lunch counters and restaurants. In each case the commanders
concerned cautioned their men against such action, and there were few
reoccurrences.[16-41]

[Footnote 16-40: Memo, IG, USAF, for ASecAF, 25 Jul
49, SecAF files.]

[Footnote 16-41: Idem for DCSPER, 7 Sep 49, copy in
SecAF files; see also ACofS, G-2, Fourth Army, Ft.
Sam Houston, Summary of Information, 7 Sep 49, copy
in SA 291.2.]

The commanders' warnings were understandable because, as any official
from Secretary Symington on down would quickly explain, the Air Force
did not regard itself as being in the business of forcing changes in
American society; it was simply trying to make the best use of its
manpower to build military efficiency in keeping with its national
defense mission.[16-42] But in the end the integration order proved
effective on both counts. Racial feelings, racial incidents, charges
of discrimination, and the problems of procurement, training, and
assignment always asso