Korean War Vet Describes Racism Perpetrated by Comrades In Military

This century marks a new and distinctive chapter in the prolonged tale of racism for African Americans. It is stained by underhanded tactics aimed at discrimination such as police tensions, education inequality and educational barriers. Edward Lee Smith recalls a time when discrimination carried a more visceral and explicit tone.

Smith lived through Jim Crow laws, the rise of the KKK and civil rights movements, even facing blatant racism as he fought for his country in the Korean War. Now, he provides insight into the many struggles he faced growing up as an African American in his memoir "Forgotten Heroes: An American Soldier's Journey from Korea through the Cold War 1927-2016."

In "Forgotten Heroes," Smith provides his life story, sparing no details. He shares the difficult times he faced growing up as a young African American in the South, the Great Depression and WWII. He describes the bloody conflicts he and his late brother, Fred, faced in the Korean War, expelling the demons he faced during deployment. Most importantly, he offers a firsthand look at the intense racism he was confronted with throughout his life.

"I've seen enough to known that I have seen too much," Smith said. "Racism is stitched into the very fabric of American society. Sometimes it is hard to believe progress has been made, but Forgotten Heroes shows readers that we have moved beyond the overt discrimination I faced. I drank from a separate water fountain, bore witness to an actuAl Lynching, and smelled the smoke of the burning crosses. This book is a personal look at those terrible days."

"Forgotten Heroes: An American Soldier's Journey from Korea through the Cold War 1927-2016"
By Edward Lee Smith
ISBN: 9781532009815 (softcover) 9781532009822 (ebook)
Available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and iUniverse

About the author
Edward Lee Smith is a retired lieutenant colonel, having served in the US Army and National Guard for more than two decades. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in business administration from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro. Smith has more than 40 years of professional and military experience in many fields including education and marketing. He lives in the Zuni Mountains of New Mexico and has six grown children.

Review Copies & Interview Requests:
LAVIDGE - Phoenix
Jacquelyn Brazzale
480 998 2600 x 569
jbrazzale(at)lavidge(dot)com

General Inquiries:
LAVIDGE - Phoenix
SaTara Williams
480-998-2600 x 586
swilliams(at)lavidge(dot)com