[James Langham]

Originally Posted by helbent4

Abbott,



You probably wouldn't see this in Europe in the US Army because there's a complete lack of institutionalised support and tradition. In the CF you'd still see replacements in Europe going to either the "Anglophone" (English) regiments or "Francophone" (French) units because that's built into the very structure of the 'Forces, but probably not much beyond that.

Such units in the CONUS might be possible and even inevitable, especially late-formed ones and ones formed for local defense and security. Basically, "ethnic" or "local" regular units are at best relics of the 19th century (like, the regiments of the US Civil War). Or at worst a product of non-PC and outright racist beliefs that were dismantled in the fifties. It's highly unlikely we'll see the same circumstances that produced the Tuskeegee Airmen or the famed 442nd "Nissei" Regiment. Except in New America, of course! (See "Urban Guerrilla".)

One such modern unit of interest was the 65th Regiment. An all-volunteer unit from Puerto Rico, where the enlisted all spoke Spanish but their officers were white and spoke English. This, however, was a side-effect of the origin of the troops and unit tradition, and not necessarily the segregationist policies of the day.

To go a little dark on this, I could see a kind of "Nissei effect" where, after the Mexican-Soviet invasion of the US, illegal aliens, dissidents and even legal Mexican-American immigrants of dubious patriotism are rounded up as a safeguard against subversive activity. Then, due to a shortage of manpower, all-volunteer units of "loyal" Hispanics are formed, to be used primarily as shock troops (or penal battalions, if you will) against Division Cuba.

I don't necessarily think this is likely, but it's not out of the question and there is historical precedence.

Tony

In my background I actually have this happen earlier with rioting against a number of ethnic backgrounds. There ends up being an Italian-American battalion of recently arrived imegrants that serves well, not fixed a location yet but probably Korea.