"I credit the military with whatever it is I've been able to achieve especially in terms of my education." (Audio Interview, 18:44)

Ira T. Neal

War: Korean War, 1950-1953 Branch: Army Unit: 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division Service Location: Korea Rank: Sergeant First Class Place of Birth: TN

In 1947, at the age of 16, Ira Neal dropped out of high school to join the Air Force. He soon learned that the segregated armed services had quotas for African American recruits; he was encouraged to enlist in the Army instead. By June 1950, he had just returned from a tour of duty in Japan when the Korean War began. He decided to re-enlist for a six-year hitch, and he arrived in Korea as a rifleman in an infantry unit. He admits that he was "blessed" when he was transferred to a weapons company as a forward observer. He directed mortar fire on the enemy, and his job was not without danger, but he believes it greatly increased his chances of survival. While he was in Japan, he obtained a GED, and he later used the G.I. Bill to get an advanced college degree, leading to a long career in public education.