About Sgt. Sherman

Sgt. Stephen E. Sherman, born on January 10, 1921 in Akron, Colorado. The fifth son of John and Lillie M. Sherman, who had 12 children, 9 boys and 3 girls. He attended grade and high school in Akron, Colorado, starring in football, basketball and track. He graduated in 1939 and went to work to help his father support his seven siblings younger than him during the great depression. His Father owned a one chair barber shop.

Then on December 7, 1941, a day that shall live in infamy , the second World War began when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. He was drafted into the Army in 1942 and was sent to Camp Stoneman, California for basic training. It was during this time that Sgt. Sherman met this awesome Black Sailor that he had read about in the Black Papers named Doris “Dorie” Miller and how he had stood his ground with cool authority when all of his shipmates were running for their lives to find protective cover. Dorie told Sgt. Sherman he positively shot down four and possibly five Japanese aircraft in the first thirty minutes of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Sgt. Sherman then moved on to the Oakland, California Army Base for Port Training, and then to Port Chicago at Vallejo, California to be trained on loading ammunition ships. There he saw the negligent and dangerous safety conditions at Port Chicago for the personnel which were all black sailors with white officers. On July 17, 1944, a terrible explosion occurred that killed 320 Sailors and 202 black Stevadors and 9 white Naval Officers. Morgan Freeman made a documentary on this World War II disaster. When the other sailors refused to load the ships, Sgt. Sherman’s outfit was called to load the ships until they could court martial the sailors that refused. They all received a dishonorable discharge, some received prison time. Those dishonorable discharges stood until President Clinton gave honorable discharges to those who were still living.

From there Sgt. Sherman was shipped to Camp Breckenridge, Kentucky on maneuvers. After many bad experiences at this base, as he had never been in the South and did not know how to act being a black soldier in the south, his outfit was sent to New Jersey and embarked on the USS General Mann and landed in England. From there to France, Belgium, and Germany. After the war was over in Europe his outfit was relined and sent to Okinawa through the Panama Canal. They were waiting for the invasion to begin when the United States dropped the atomic bombs on two cities in Japan, which led to the surrender of the Japanese to the allies.

Sgt. Sherman came home in 1946. He received an honorable discharge. He was awarded the American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, European-African Campaign Medal with 2 bronze stars, World War II Victory Medal, Honorable Service Lapel Button, Sharpshooter Badge with Rifle Bar and Good Conduct Medal.

After college he worked 14 years for the Postal Service and 20 years for United Airlines.

At 87 he still has two businesses.