Proudly We Served: The Men of the USS Mason (2011)

This is the thrilling true story of the USS Mason (DE 529) and its crew, the only African-American sailors to take a U.S. Navy warship into battle during World War II. They challenged the segregation of the U.S. Military, fought the Nazi U-boats, and won. Narrated by actor Ossie Davis, the film interweaves the personal stories of individual crew members with archival footage of the ship and crew produced by the Navy. As a result of the media attention created by this documentary and its companion book, the crew members of the USS Mason were finally awarded the Letters of Commendation which they were recommended for in 1944, but had not received for 50 years. Proud, an award-winning dramatic feature film based on this story, stars Ossie Davis in his last movie role. Broadcast on PBS stations nationwide.