The United States Army Medal of Honor

Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith - Medal of Honor War on Terrorism

I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade.

For more than two hundred years, African-Americans have participated in every conflict in United States history. They have not only fought bravely the common enemies of the United States but have also had to confront the individual and institutional racism of their countrymen.

Lieutenant Colonel (Retired),
Michael Lee Lanning, author, “The African-American Soldier: From Crispus Attucks to Colin Powell.”