He saw tons of problems at front lines and in combat related to racial segregation.
He finally declared that segregation of units was “wholly inefficient to military readiness and effectiveness and also said it was un-American and un-Christian.
Then, he ordered the all-black units dissolved and the men reassigned to other units.
Within a few months, the entire 8th Army was integrated, and this set the stage for other military units doing the same.
This was a bold move that wasn’t without controversy, and General Ridgway never got enough credit for the precedent he set.