Eddie Barrington transcript

Eddie Barrington was born March 17, 1920. He grew up on his family farm in Lloyd, Florida. He initially did not want to join the army but was drafted November 26, 1941. He moved around camps in Florida but was ultimately stationed in Karachi, India (now Pakistan). A member of the C Company in the 823rd Air Aviation Engineers, Barrington was assigned to work on the Ledo Road under General Stilwell in December 1942. During his service, Barrington battled malaria eleven times; one instance left him in a coma for nine days. He mentions a white nurse who took care of him during his time in the hospital. General Mountbatten of Great Britain declared during this time that separate camps for black and white soldiers would no longer be tolerated. Black soldiers began to riot but General Stilwell threatened to shoot those who participated. In Barrington’s company, the only black officer was a chaplain, and he references this as the cause of mistreatment of black troops. Barrington notes that as he traveled, he became more aware of racial injustice. Each country he visited was more liberal and tolerant than the United States and upon being sent home, he was disappointed by the continuing racial tensions in the U.S. After leaving India, Barrington spent some time in Oklahoma at Will Roger’s Field until he was discharged in 1945. He moved to Tallahassee where he worked with C.K. Steele, M.C. Williams, and other notable Civil Rights leaders during the Tallahassee Bus Boycott. Barrington had difficulties finding a job back in Tallahassee. He cites discrimination against African Americans as the reason he did not want to join the Army.