| Cruiser’s Wardroom. African American Officer’s Stewards serve a meal to the cruiser’s junior officers. African Americans initially could not hold any other rating in the Navy, and other opportunities were extremely limited. Some ships, like USS Essex (CV-9), allowed Black Mess Stewards to man the anti-aircraft guns. 8 Stewards were killed on their 1st duty at the guns on Essex on November 25, 1944. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1943.jpg |
| Image Size | 2.82 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 5743 x 4556 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Navy |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | April 13, 1945 |
| Location | |
| City | |
| State or Province | |
| Country | Pacific Ocean |
| Archive | Naval History and Heritage Command |
| Record Number | 80-G-K-3756 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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