By Nina Gregory
Contributing Writer
Highbridge is home to an American hero who will be honored this September with a major motion picture about his life's experience. Lorenzo Dufau, 85, of 169th Street and Ogden Avenue, is a veteran of World War II.
He was member of the only U.S. Navy warship with an African-American crew to go into combat. The crew he was a part of on the USS Mason contributed to the advancement of civil rights for African Americans.
"My character in the movie represents 160 men," Dufau said, careful to note that while he is the main character, the movie "Proud" is not simply about him. It is about all the men who were aboard the Mason with him. "We were united in our thinking about making this ship the best we could."
A sort of social experiment that also served the country's need for men to fight in the war, the USS Mason, as ordered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was the first opportunity African American men had to perform duties in the military other than cooking or cleaning.
From the War of American Independence through today's war in Iraq, African Americans have served in the United States military. A professor at Long Island University, Melvin R. Sylvester, compiled a history of African Americans in service and noted that over 200,000 served in the Civil War alone. However, this service has not always been honored.
"We were defending a system that didn't permit us the freedom that the system allowed," he said. "And the service itself was segregated. That was a real slap in the face." The men knew because of their race their actions would be scrutinized and were careful to keep things in ship shape.
Living in close quarters, things got tense sometimes. "We had these big old boxing gloves," Dufau recalled. "When men had problems on the ship, you put on the gloves and settled it, because if you fought below deck - anywhere - you'd get court marshaled. Boxing, though, was under control, so it was okay." But more than keeping their cabins clean and maintaining peace on the ship, the Atlantic Storm of the Century defined this group of men. In October 1944, after a month-long trip across the Atlantic to Europe, the USS Mason faced what was reported as the worst Atlantic storm of the 20th century.
There were ice-cold forty-foot waves crashing on deck. The Mason, an 1100-ton steel ship, was tossed and turned. At times it was completely sideways. The storm sunk a total of 16 vessels, including three tugboats and five cargo barges. Convoy Commander Alfred Lind ordered the smaller craft in the convoy to detach from the group and the USS Mason to lead them to safety.
The wind picked up with gusts up to almost 70 miles per hour. The crew worried the wind would carry them past the entrance to the harbor. Waves pounded the deck and no one answered the ship's calls for help. Visibility was zero. Then, the ship's deck split.
The men of the Mason were not deterred. They braved the harsh storm and within two hours, repaired the deck, risking their lives to do so. It is this bravery that made their captain, Bill Blackford, recommend them for Navy Commendation, an award that honors heroism, outstanding achievement or meritorious service. Convoy Commander Alfred Lind nominated them for commendations, as well. They did not receive either.
Fifty years later, author Mary Pat Kelly was working on a book about the men of the USS Mason, Proudly We Served, and discovered this shameful fact. With her help, the men finally received their commendation from President Clinton in 1997. Clinton called them "long overdue honors."
Gently folding his sixty-year-old dress blues, a navy wool tunic with special emblems and insignia, Dufau said, "I cherish this. I hope my great-grandson can cherish this and what I tried to accomplish. The experiences I've had, I don't think I'd change very much." With a tear in his eye, Dufau added, "It is great to know you had a part in making this place a better place. It's every man's obligation to make wherever he is a better place because he was there. Somebody smoothed the road for him, now he has to do it for the next person."
"Proud," starring Ossie Davis as Dufau, is in theaters this November. |
