Born: December 8, 1925
Died: May 16, 1990
Service Summary
| Branch | United States Army |
| Years of Service | 1943-1945 |
| Age at Induction | 18 |
| Conflict | World War II |
| Assignment | Entertainment Special Services |
Sammy Davis Jr. was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943 at the age of 18. Like many Black servicemen during World War II, his military service was marked by racism and hostility rather than camaraderie. Yet despite those experiences, Davis would spend much of his career entertaining American troops through USO tours around the world.
Upon arriving for basic training, Davis approached a private first class sitting outside the barracks and asked where he could find Building 202.
"Excuse me, buddy. I'm a little lost. Can you tell me where 202 is?"
The soldier threw his head back and replied:
"Two buildings down... and I'm not your buddy, you Black bastard."
It was an introduction that would prove to be a taste of things to come as Davis endured continued abuse from his fellow soldiers. He was eventually transferred to an entertainment unit but, unfortunately, the harassment didn't completely stop. It did however open his eyes to how important entertainment was to soldiers' morale.
He later recalled performing for some of the same men who had painted the word "coon" on his forehead during basic training. After one performance, several soldiers invited him over for a drink. They slid a pitcher of beer toward him, only for Davis to discover they had filled it with urine. On another occasion, he said they kidnapped him from the barracks and painted him white from head to toe.
Years later, Davis reflected on his experience:
"Overnight the world looked different. It wasn't one color anymore. I could see the protection I'd gotten all my life from my father and Will. I appreciated their loving hope that I'd never need to know about prejudice and hate, but they were wrong.
...My talent was the weapon, the power, the way for me to fight. It was the one way I might hope to affect a man's thinking."
Davis returned to performing with his father and Will Mastin after leaving the army, launching one of the most successful entertainment careers of the twentieth century.
In spite of his difficult experiences in uniform, Davis never turned his back on America's servicemen . Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, he participated in numerous USO tours around the world, including a 1972 visit to Danang in Vietnam. He later described those tours as some of the most satisfying experiences of his career.