Changes

Byrd commented on the 1945 controversy raging over the idea of racially integrating the military. In his book When ''Jim Crow Met John Bull'',  Graham Smith referred to a letter written that year by Byrd, when he was 28 years old, to [[segregationist]] Senator [[Theodore Bilbo]] of [[Mississippi]], in which Byrd vowed never to fight:

Byrd commented on the 1945 controversy raging over the idea of racially integrating the military. In his book When ''Jim Crow Met John Bull'',  Graham Smith referred to a letter written that year by Byrd, when he was 28 years old, to [[segregationist]] Senator [[Theodore Bilbo]] of [[Mississippi]], in which Byrd vowed never to fight:

 

{{Cquote|Rather I should die a thousand times, and see Old Glory trampled in the dirt never to rise again, than to see this beloved land of ours become degraded by race mongrels, a throwback to the blackest specimen from the wilds.}}

:''Rather I should die a thousand times, and see Old Glory trampled in the dirt never to rise again, than to see this beloved land of ours become degraded by race mongrels, a throwback to the blackest specimen from the wilds."''

He had earlier written Bilbo:

He had earlier written Bilbo:

 

{{Cquote|I shall never fight in the armed forces with a Negro by my side}}

:''"I shall never fight in the armed forces with a Negro by my side"''

By the 1950s, he was no longer involved with the Ku Klux Klan. To this day, he acknowledges the poor choice he made, and like [[Strom Thurmond]], (who originally ran on a segregationist platform) says he regrets being involved with the group.

By the 1950s, he was no longer involved with the Ku Klux Klan. To this day, he acknowledges the poor choice he made, and like [[Strom Thurmond]], (who originally ran on a segregationist platform) says he regrets being involved with the group.