Last week marks the 75th anniversary of Executive Order 9981, which was issued by President Harry S. Truman on July 26, 1948, and which directed the desegregation of the United States Armed Forces. The impact of Executive Order 9981 cannot be overstated; it was among the first federal actions of the modern civil rights era to counter discrimination against Black Americans and other racial minorities. It’s impact, over time, has fundamentally transformed the racial makeup and composition of our armed services, and it has greatly benefitted our nation as a whole.