Bostic Sr., Edward Frank
Item
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Title
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Bostic Sr., Edward Frank
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Performer
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Edward Frank Bostic Sr.
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Interviewer
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William Vollano
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Description
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Frank Bostic was born in Detroit, Michigan. His family moved to Ann Arbor when he was very young, and he attended the city’s high school. Frank played football and ran track (he was the first Black athlete to be voted captain). While going to school, Frank worked as a paper boy. He said he earned more than his father, who was employed by WPA. After high school he was drafted. He relates many instances of prejudice, including being assigned to sleeping in tents. He was told it was to prepare him for battle conditions; however, it was only the Black soldiers who slept in tents. Frank was eventually assigned to the 92nd Infantry, an all-Black unit. He fought in Italy and was seriously wounded. In spite of his wounds, Frank is credited with saving three other soldiers, for which he earned his Bronze Star. He spent nearly a year in hospitals before being discharged. When Frank returned from service, he tried to join the VFW. They refused him membership because he was Black. He eventually joined a different VFW. Frank married after the service and had six children: three boys and three girls. During his married life, he worked as many as three jobs to make sure his children received an education. His wife died just short of their 50th anniversary.
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Date Span
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1942-1945
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Dates of Service
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Subject
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Enlisted; United States Army; Headquarters, Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 370th Infantry Regiment, 92nd Infantry Division (Buffalo Soldiers); World War, 1939-1945; Second World War - European Theater; Private First Class
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Publisher
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Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
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Collection Location
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1/13
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https://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/bib/loc.natlib.afc2001001.67982
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Spatial Coverage
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Second World War - European Theater
