Bushnell Days: A Desegregated Facility in a Segregated World
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A Desegregated Facility in a Segregated World
Bushnell General Military Hospital was an unusual facility for the 1940s. At a time when the military and society in general was still segregated—as were many other military hospitals—Bushnell did not separate patients by race (with the exception of Japanese POWs). This was probably due to practicality since the majority of patients were white, and segregated wards may have had empty, wasted beds. One German POW at Bushnell expressed surprise to find himself mixing with many Hispanic patients as well as Japanese Americans and African Americans.
Patients were said to express the idea, “Our blood looks the same,” but because this attitude didn’t extend to the larger community, minority groups—especially African American servicemen and women—often found themselves in awkward situations, not able to eat at local restaurants or find lodging in local hotels.
This was a time when Utah and most other states still had laws that forbade various races from intermarrying (anti-miscegenation laws), so some of the social activities planned for the soldiers were segregated, with dances held specifically for black soldiers. Otherwise, patients had the opportunity to work, play, eat, and bunk alongside people whose backgrounds were very different from their own.