Saving Fort Des Moines

A couple of weeks ago, Neal and I had the honor of meeting and shaking hands with 2 Tuskegee Airmen, one is 93 years old and the other is 95. With each passing year, our opportunities to meet any Servicemembers from World War II are dwindling significantly. These days, we are lucky to meet their children. As our parents pass on, we are left to tell our grandparents' stories, if we can remember them. But their service, their sacrifices are important and their memories should be shared, one way or another. Our visit with the Airmen was far too brief. I wanted to have them over for dinner; cook lasagna and let them talk until we all nod off over our desert plates. I wanted to hear about how the world has changed, how it is remarkably still the same, what changed their lives and what they hope for the future.

To hear the stories of previous generations, we must often turn to books and museums with curated collections that give the memories shape and context. My favorite Civil War museum is Pamplin Historical Park in Petersburg, Virginia. It is a privately owned museum that has always made Civil War history accessible and interesting. Visitors must engage with exhibits and that leaves an indelible mark on even the most apathetic guest. My initial thought was, "I wish the people who work here had been my high school history teachers."

Indeed, Jeff Kluever, the former Education Supervisor of Pamplin Historical Park, would make an excellent high school history teacher. But he has set his sights on something equally as important: saving Fort Des Moines, an Army training facility on the south side of Des Moines, Iowa. I've known Jeff and his wife, Holly, since we were stationed at Fort Lee in 2013. We would sometimes spend Friday evenings huddled around a bucket of chicken wings with a side of mambo sauce and laugh at all of the nerdy, historical tours we've taken over the years. So, it was no surprise that Jeff found significance in this struggling landmark. But as he began to share its stories with me, I was also overcome with a sense of obligation to the men and women who made Fort Des Moines a notable chapter in history. I don't know if Jeff, who now serves on the Fort Des Moines board of directors, will be able to spark enough interest to save this national treasure, but y'know what? We have to try. So, he came to me and said, "Can you help me get the word out?" Absolutely. Truly, it's the least I can do.

M&M: What makes Fort Des Moines historically significant?
Jeff: The fort is important because it is the site of the first Officer Candidate School for African-American men in United States Army history. The  first (and only) cadet class of 1917 graduated 639 men as commissioned officers to serve in World War I and included college graduates, non-commissioned officers, 9th and 10th cavalry "Buffalo Soldiers" and men from the 24th and 25th infantry. Several cadets were already established leaders in the black community. By 1911, Elder Watson Diggs had co-founded Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity while Frank Coleman and Edgar Love had co-founded Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. 

Other cadets reached notoriety after graduation. Samuel Joe Brown, Charles Howard and James Morris went on to found the Iowa Negro Bar Association (now the National Bar Association) in 1925. Charles Hamilton Houston became a lawyer and argued 8 cases in front of the Supreme Court, winning 7 of them. He mentored Thurgood Marshall and played a significant role in dismantling the Jim Crow laws, which earned him the moniker, "The Man Who Killed Jim Crow".

Courtesy of The Library of Congress 

 The African-American Cadet Class of 1917

The women's legacy is less represented by individuals, but seen more in the rapidity (relatively speaking) of the incorporation of women into the Army.  The first women recruits arrived at Fort Des Moines on July 20, 1942. They trained there as WAACs (Women's Auxiliary Army Corp), but became WACs (Women's Army Corps) when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed legislation which integrated women into the U.S. Army in 1943. That's a pretty fast transition, especially for the military. 

 Courtesy of The Library of Congress

WAACs, answering the call to assembly, Fort Des Moines, 1942

 Courtesy of The Library of Congress

Auxiliary Doris Johnson, of Leipic, Ohio, is shown washing down a jeep, which was considered "heavier work", Fort Des Moines, 1942

Courtesy of The Library of Congress

WAAC officer candidates, studying Organization of the Army in the classroom after their march drill, Fort Des Moines, 1942

Courtesy of The Library of Congress

The first graduating class of WAACs at Fort Des Moines, 1942

The stories of these men and women are pretty remarkable.  Obviously, both groups faced significant discrimination.  Both groups were used mostly for manual work/clerical work, though a few African-American regiments saw combat in World War I.

M&M: How and why did you get involved with Fort Des Moines? 

Jeff : My involvement in the museum began in November 2017, when I read a newspaper article about the financial struggles facing the museum.  I thought, given my previous museum experience, that I might be able to help - despite the fact that I can't write really big checks.  I was elected to the board in December and have been working since that time to establish a foothold so that we can create a strategic plan that enables the museum to be financially sustainable.  What's remarkable is that the museum, the collection and the exhibits are in really good shape.  We have deferred maintenance that needs to be addressed, but we could open tomorrow and have a decent display.  What we lack are financial resources.  The board is trying to piece together enough funding to give ourselves the breathing room we need to pursue grant funding, sponsorships/partnerships, etc., but to this point we are expending all of our energy on paying the utility and insurance bills.

I suppose the biggest reason I got involved is that this is a story that needs to be told, and I'm afraid that if we close our doors there won't be anyone telling those stories.  The stories of these men and women are not only meaningful in a historical sense, but relevant to conversations we are still addressing today.

Courtesy of Ullery Smith, graphic designer for Fort Des Moines

Saving Fort Des Moines is a daunting project. Jeff and the rest of the board of directors must rebound from years of financial struggles, even though enough money was raised in 2004 to renovate a former bachelor's barracks and add informational displays. The president of the board of directors complained to the Iowa Register last November that the community either doesn't care or has forgotten about the significance of Fort Des Moines. 

What I find most ironic is that the very reason Fort Des Moines was chosen to host its first and only class of African-American commissioned officers could be the precise cause of its financial distress: it is in the middle of "nowhere". The government, assuming the cadets would fail, wanted them as far from the east coast media as possible. Fort Des Moines, at that point, was an abandoned cavalry base and available for use and it was far, far away. While many fine people live in and around Des Moines, it is not a tourist destination. Even though Fort Des Moines has been designated as a National Historic Landmark, it does not receive the steady flow of cash that other National Historic Landmarks such as Hoover Dam, Alcatraz and the USS Arizona do every summer. We don't vacation in Des Moines (although I've been there and everyone should visit) and the fort falls into further disrepair.

Since December, though, the board of directors has worked to create a strategic plan for the museum and has started to look for grants and other funding opportunities, even though they don't qualify for some because of the museum's current financial situation. But Fort Des Moines remains open, with 100% volunteer support, every Saturday during the summer. On November 3, the museum will host a Passing of the Colors event. You can keep up with Fort Des Moines on its Facebook page and take a peek inside the museum with this Youtube video.

So, I know my readers and I know you are asking yourself right now: What can we do to help? First and foremost (and perhaps most obvious) is to give. Jeff has set up a Go Fund Me account here and has set a goal of $50,000. We can also share this story on social media. You never know who it might reach...a news outlet, a wealthy donor, a thousand someones who know a thousand more someones. And lastly, we can visit our local National Historic Landmarks and Heritage Sites, which have earned that distinction from the National Parks Service. They are not always the sexiest or most Instagrammable places to visit, but they are recognized as historically significant and worthy of our time and dollars. 

Any time you see an African-American or female Servicemember, remember that Fort Des Moines helped pave the way for their service. Supporting Fort Des Moines is a way of saying thank you to those who have sacrificed for this country.