Recent news about the removal of plaques commemorating black GIs at the Margraten American Cemetery really struck me. It is awful, and dumb, but also scary. These removed panels are now made out to have been some kind of protest against the Trump government. The truth is that everyone responsible for this is just hiding behind false arguments because they are afraid of their own president.
You can read all about it in the press, like this article on VRT News (photo courtesy of VRT News).
I am upset about this bigotry anyway, but especially because my own grandfather served together with a black GI at the end of the war. In this photo, you see Howard Hackett (left), who was a truck driver, and my grandfather Peter Joseph “Zef” Ramakers (right), who assisted the U.S. Army as a translator.
The two young men had their picture taken in a photo studio in Rheda, Germany.
I only got this picture of a picture from an uncle of mine last year. I didn’t know anything about this before. I did know my grandfather helped the allies in some capacity, and that he wore a uniform, but that’s all. I am still trying to find out more, but the archives of the Dutch “Ordedienst en de Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten” remain classified until 01/01/2027. So one more year.
Howard came from Jamaica, Queens in New York. He enlisted in July 1943. It says “negro” on his draft registration card. He was a stock clerk and still lived with his mother before he joined the army.
He survived the war, and I think he lived a long time afterwards, but I haven’t been able to find any conclusive details. The sources are sketchy and contradictory, as is often the case when doing this kind of research online.
Any help finding out more about Howard or his relatives, or about my grandfather’s service would be greatly appreciated!
Let’s honor all of these brave boys, black or white!
