The Founders and Omegas Rich Military Heritage is Honored
 

Fort Des Moines Memorial Park and Education Center Grand Opening

On July 23-25, 2004, the grand opening of the Fort Des Moines Memorial

Park and Education Center will take place as a culmination of a 7 year

project which honors the U.S. Army's first officer candidate class open

to African-American men in 1917 during the First World War, the

establishment of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) in 1942 during

World War Two, and members of the Tuskegee Airmen from the State of

Iowa.

The grand opening weekend for the memorial will feature Army Lieutenant

General (Brother) William Ward, Deputy Commander - US Army, Europe, as

guest speaker for a luncheon honoring the service of the units and

soldiers who were part of the Fort Des Moines experience. Brother

Edward Braynon, 30th Grand Basileus, will also be in attendance

representing the Fraternity at this historic occasion. Escorts from the

Eighth District, Army LTC Samuel Farmer and MAJ Eric Watkins (Phi Xi

Chapter -Fort Riley, KS), Jeffery T. Smith, 1st VDR for the 8th District

and brothers from Mu Omicron Chapter, Des Moines, Iowa (Terry Nettles,

Basileus) will accompany Brothers Braynon and LTG Ward.

At the time, our country operated 7 officer candidate camps to train

college educated men in preparation for service in the military; none of

these camps admitted black men for training as military officers. At

the urging of President Woodrow Wilson, the first camp for black

officers was established at Fort Des Moines. The First World War

presented the initial opportunity for black soldiers as a group to

become commissioned officers in the United States Army. Although three

black officers had previously graduated West Point and served bravely on

the plains, skeptics toward the first black officer candidate class

(including President Wilson) argued that blacks lacked the intelligence

and courage to lead troops in combat.

Of the 1,000 black college graduates and faculty, and 250

non-commissioned officers from the 9th and 10th Cavalry "Buffalo

Soldiers," and 24th and 25th Infantry, who comprised the 17th

Provisional Training Regiment at Fort Des Moines, 639 graduated as

captains or lieutenants on 15 October 1917.

After completing basic training at sites across the nation, including

Camp Dodge, Iowa, they went on to lead the 92nd Division against

Imperial Germany on the bloody battlefields of France in 1918. Many of

those who survived combat returned to America to become leaders in the

battle for racial equality and their sacrifices launched the integrated

officer corps of today serving in all of America's Armed Forces.

Fort Des Moines figures prominently in our history as two of our

Founders, Brothers Frank Coleman and Edgar A. Love were part of the

first and only graduating class with 26 other Brothers, some being

initiated there as members of the Fort Des Moines (War) Chapter. The

memorial park and educational center is a national historic site which

features a stunning abstract monument by internationally acclaimed

sculptor Richard Hunt. The base of the monument includes the names and

hometowns of the 639 graduate captains and lieutenants from 1917 and the

first 436 WAAC officers from 1942. The site also includes a military

and historical museum with artifacts, archival photographs, period art,

library, interactive video/film displays and a café; Chapel building; a

reflecting pool surrounded by the inscribed pavers and bricks of the

Walk of Honor, Tank Alley and other outdoor exhibits.



Because of our Founders Coleman and Love and other Omegas who were part

of this historic event, we have an exhibit in the museum. You will see

the Greek letters “WYF”with their pictures and a brief history of the

fraternity as a major center piece. Those of us, who are officers in

the military, owe a debt of gratitude to these men because they made it

possible for us to serve in the military as commissioned officers.

Visit the Fort Des Moines Memorial website for additional information at


http://www.fortdesmoines.org/index.html