Can we ever put an end to racial prejudice?

Vietnam

EVERY SOLDIER MUST earn the respect of his commanders, his buddies, and the enemy in the crucible of combat. Unfortunately, some may have to work harder than others to prove themselves. Although the military can expunge a soldier's civilian identity simply  by shearing away his hair and dressing him in a uniform, they cannot alter the prejudices that he brings with him from his former life.

Lance Corporal Sel Louis had to prove himself almost every day. Although he had proven himself in Boot Camp, just like every other Marine, he was the target of racial prejudice at every turn. Because he was Asian, he resembled the enemy even though wearing the uniform of the few, the proud. Trust lasted only a few moments after every test in battle.

While my father did everything he could to inculcate me with the prejudices of our kind, Corporal Louis did everything he could to avoid being a victim of bigotry. He is an American Marine of Chinese descent who served in Vietnam approximately the same time I was there – 1967 to 1968. He experienced prejudices from the very moment he donned the uniform and had to prove himself many times. Although such prejudice is no longer welcome in polite society and has no legal standing, it can never be totally excised, even by act of Congress. Unfortunately, prejudice and ignorance are inextricably bound together. 

All men are equal in the foxhole where bullets and bayonets snatch lives indiscriminately and artillery rattles every soul. However, until a man experiences combat, he may cling to the prejudices that he brings to war with him. Even then, bigotry may be so deeply embedded that he cannot free himself of it.