During World War II, still smarting from the fascist conquest of the Spanish Republic and determined to defeat the Axis powers, nearly 500 Abraham Lincoln Brigade veterans enlisted in the U.S. Armed Forces. Many served with distinction, were decorated and were cited for heroism. Some found, however, that their time in Spain battling Franco's insurgent forces seemed to compromise their status in the U.S. military. Early in 1943, staffers at the Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade (VALB) headquarters began receiving reports of incidents of discrimination against Lincoln Brigade veterans serving in the Army. Some Brigade veterans claimed that they had been denied commissions and active overseas duties, others found themselves transferred to limited-service units along with pro-fascists and Nazi sympathizers.

VALB Executive Secretary Jack Bjoze launched a vigorous campaign to end an apparent policy that prevented some veterans from participating fully in active service. He sent formal protests to military and government officials and, lobbying support on behalf of the sidelined veterans, made these alleged abuses known to the public. "These men were among the first Americans to fight Hitler and Mussolini," asserted Bjoze in a January 1943 article published in PM, "and all they want is a chance to continue their fight against Fascism." By the end of April, Congressman John M. Coffee petitioned the Secretary of War, Robert Patterson to conduct an investigation of the allegations leveled by Bjoze. Despite repeated appeals, Army officials denied the existence of any formal policy barring members of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade from combat duty or advancement. However, following columnist Drew Pearson's exposé of the military's unjust treatment of Spanish Civil War veterans, many Brigade veterans who had struggled to overcome the obstacles that deprived them of combat postings, were at last deployed to active service. In an October 1943 letter to Pearson, Bjoze expressed his gratitude:

"Pertaining to the …boys the condition is greatly improved. We sincerely appreciate your efforts in their behalf, as we feel that it was one of the primary causes responsible for the War Department lifting the ban, to a large extent, on sending the boys overseas."