Dr. Fletcher entered the room standing 6’ 8 of statue and somewhat tired, but I thought that this would be an abnormal experience. I had already perceived that this would be a long drawn out discussion because he was 78 years of age. Nevertheless, we he begin to speak his voice begin to fill the room. It generated a sort of power because he did not stutter or pause he just begin to let it go. At this point, I begin to listen to every word he had to say.
He started by telling us that he was the son of a Buffalo Soldier and by having the pleasure of traveling with his father he was able to meet Mary McCloud Bethune. She was an advisor for the president at the time and she begin to encourage the children by telling them to never give up and that one day they too can advise the president. He took that and ran with it. In high school he was one of the most favored football players but could not go to a major college. Despite th
at he went to a smaller college and became the first black man to play professional football for the Baltimore Colts and later with the Los Angeles Rams. He was then drafted for WWII in which he took a bullet in the chest for a country that did not consider him full citizen due to race. He commented that, “It was confusing being in a segregated Army but we knew who the real enemy was during those days and that was Adolph Hitler. We knew we needed to save the one country that would allow us to move on if we fought for our rights so it wasn't that hard to fight for our country….”
Even though Dr. Fletcher had broken the color barrier and had fame, after the army he could not find a single job so he began to deliver ice. He called himself "College Graduate/Football Hero/Iceman!" At the age of 35 he would be faced with a drastic situation. Married and with five children, his wife could not take the pressures of not finding
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