Historic Resource Study on the Integration of the Military at Floyd Bennett Field, Gateway National Recreation Area
Hunter Research, Inc., Eryn Boyce, M.S., Historian, Patrick Harshbarger, M.A., Principal Historian. 2021. Historic Resource Study on the Integration of the Military at Floyd Bennett Field, Gateway National Recreation Area. US Department of the Interior National Park Service Gateway National Recreation Area
The purpose of this Historic Resource Study is to examine the history of racial integration of the American military as it played out at Floyd Bennett Field from circa 1928 to circa 1971 with a particular emphasis on the pivotal World War II period of 1941 to 1945. During the years of active military operations from 1941 to 1971, Floyd Bennett Field was otherwise known as Naval Air Station New York. The research data presented within this study will inform future rehabilitation and interpretation of Floyd Bennett Field, Gateway National Recreation Area by the National Park Service. The scope for this project, as determined by the National Park Service, includes a contextual historical overview of African Americans in the American military, a site history and analysis and evaluation in support of four main objectives. The first objective is to document the history of segregation and integration at Floyd Bennett Field during World War II and how President Harry Truman’s order to integrate the military via Executive Order 9981 in 1948 impacted the site. Second, the report provides documentation as to how far reaching the changes wrought by the integration of the military were at Floyd Bennett Field. The third objective is to examine how these changes were implemented. The fourth objective is to analyze the integration of Floyd Bennett Field and to evaluate whether integration was successful.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Hunter Research, Inc.; Eryn Boyce, M.S., Historian; Patrick Harshbarger, M.A., Principal Historian
- Date of Issue
- 2021-04
- Publisher
- US Department of the Interior National Park Service Gateway National Recreation Area
- Units
- GATE , NER
- Keywords
- Aeronautics, Airport, Brooklyn (NY), Interpretation, Naval Air Station New York, Naval History, Race Relations, Racial Integration of the American Military, US Navy, World War II