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
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