Scott Erickson

William McKinney
William McKinney was born in Union Town Pennsylvania and spent his early childhood in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. William was raised a Christian and lived in a mixed neighborhood. As a child he went to a mixed school and had 10 siblings, 6 boys and 4 girls. Growing up he never really experienced extreme racism. His father was in the army and was affected by mustard gas but still survived the war. Due to this he was already on the way to the army when at 18 going on 19 he was drafted into the war. After McKinney was drafted he was introduced to the real side of racism. The white me would call them monkeys and niggers and blackies and tell people that they had tails. McKinney's' battalion, an all black battalion, was responsible for the second wave of an ambush. Growing up in the city he had never experienced sleeping out in inclimate weather like rain and snow. Traveling from town to town McKinney carried all his supplies with him which included a small tent that was suppose to help against the terrible weather conditions but he mostly used it as a pillow. William was able to survive the war because he was away from most of the fighting. Of the battles he was in the most memorial were Normandy and on Omaha Beach. The war didn't have a major toll on him like the Jews and other races. He married his fiancé after the war because he promised he would come back. They waited two years after the war to get married. They had three children the youngest developed multiple sclerosis. McKinney asked the doctor what the life expectancy was and the doctor said 35 to 40 years. His youngest died at 38 and his other to children are still alive today.