Black Americans have served with honor in every American military action, though this fact

if often omitted in history books. Even though black men almost had to beg to be al- lowed to serve in the Revolutionary War, they went on to serve well. Two blackmen, Oliver Cromwell and Prince Whipple, were with Washington when he crossed the Delaware on Christmas Day, 1776, to attack the British at Trenton. A black man named Estabrook captured the Royal Army's general Prescott Newport, and Peter Salem, a black, killed Major Pitcairn as he was savoring his expected victory at Bunker Hill.

Even though they were forced to serve in separated units, black soldiers distinguished themselves in combat. This was despite the fact the whites had long believed that blacks could neither command nor use firearms. In 1863, William Carney of the Massachusetts Colored Infantry received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his role in battles with the Plains Indians. Isaiah Dorman, Coster's black scout, served and died at the Little Big Horn in 1876. Henry Flipper was the first black graduate of West Point in 1877.

In World War I, 40,000 black American combat soldiers served with the French command. Neither U.S. nor British commanders would use these men. But Henry Johnson and Needham Roberts, soldiers in the 369th Infantry's black “Hellfighters” were still the first Americans to win the Croix de Guerr, France's top military award.

During World War II over 600,000 black men and women served in the armed forces, including some 400,000 who served overseas. Dorie Miller, a black mess attendant in navy, was one of our first heroes in this war. At Pearl Harbor during the Japanese sneak attack, he manned a machine gun and shot down four planes. The black fighter pilots of Benjamin Davis, Jr. distinguished themselves throughout the war. They served most courageously during the Italian campaign. During the war in Vietnam, mainly because of civil rights pressures in America but also owing to the fine record of black military units, all American forces were fully integrated. Once again blacks played vital roles. And 13. 2 percent of all war deaths were of blacks, even though blacks constitute only 11 percent of all Americans. Black American soldiers continue to serve their land well.

The main idea this passage is that______.

A．black Americans made contributions in the Revolutionary War

B．black Americans have admirably served their country in at least five wars

C．black Americans suffered a larger portion of war deaths in Vietnam than did any other minorities

D．black Americans served under the French command in World War I