 During World War II, Eastland vocally opposed and degraded the service of African American soldiers in the war.He incited protests and comparisons to Hitlerism following a vitriolic speech on the floor of the Senate in July 1945, in which he complained that the Negro soldier was physically, morally, and mentally incapable of serving in combat.In contrast, Eastland claimed that the "boys from the South were fighting to maintain white supremacy".