Senator Tom Harkin DT

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*REQUIRED INFORMATION 11111111111111111| II|II Senator Tom Harkin Ft. Des Moines Memorial Park and Education Center January 21, 2002

Thank you, Robert [Morris, Exec. Dir. of the Ft. DSM Memorial Park and Education Center] for that kind introduction. And thank you most of all for bringing the Fort Des Moines Memorial Park and Education Center to life. Robert, Steve Kirk, and the entire board have done yeoman's work in this effort and we owe them a great deal of thanks.

I want to thank my colleague and friend Leonard Boswell for joining us. As veterans ourselves, we're here to say thank you for honoring the men and women who prepared for their military service at Fort Des Moines.

My thanks as well to Mayor Preston Daniels for his support for this effort and for the vision and leadership he provides Des Moines. It's an honor as well to be here with Reverend Ratliff, President Maxwell of Drake and his wife, Madeline, and David Walker of Drake Law School.

And let me also thank all of the supervisors, city council members, Ft. Des Moines board members, Chamber members and others who have lent their support to this project. I'm proud of the $8.5 million I've been able to secure over the past three years for the memorial. But we couldn't have come this far without a team effort.

We brought together businesses, the federal, state, and local government to build a memorial equal to the African American officers and WACs who trained here at Fort Des Moines. And this memorial and educational center is also going to be an important part of Des Moines economic future. I know it will be an important tourist attraction, not only for the children and grandchildren of Fort Des Moines' veterans, but for all Americans as well.

It is particularly fitting that we're here today on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Today, Iowans are coming together as a greater community to honor the memory of the greatest prophet of justice and equality in our national history, one of those rare leaders who lit the world with an example of idealism that will never die.

But honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. cannot be just for one day. Honoring his life must be part of our daily lives. We are all commissioned by his memory to an ongoing mission to take down the barriers, to lift up those left out or left behind - in the words of Isaiah preached by Dr. King - "to undo the heavy burdens and let the oppressed go free."

The wheel of progress is not a perpetual motion machine. It doesn't turn unless we push it. To keep the dream alive, we must put our shoulder to the wheel, never tiring in the work of true liberty and opportunity for all.

This memorial is not just a tribute to courageous military service, but to men and women who served their nation in the face the discrimination and bigotry that Dr. King struggled against. In 1917, 639 African American men became officers of the United States Army here at Fort Des Moines. They chose to serve. But they served a nation that denied them their full rights as citizens.

During the Second World War, Fort Des Moines hosted the formation of the first Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, later renamed the Women's Army Corps (WAC). Yet the 72,000 WAC troops from Fort Des Moines who helped pave the way for victory were denied full participation in American life.

These men and women made a promise of service to America, but for too long, they were denied the full promise of America. We should honor their service with this memorial, but we must also honor America's promise to their children and their children's children. That living memorial would be the greatest tribute to the service and sacrifice.

Those of you here today have put your shoulder to the wheel of progress. Together, with our collective efforts, we will build a proper memorial to the men and women who became the defenders of democracy at Fort Des Moines. But today, and every day after, we must build that living memorial that matches their service and sacrifice to America.

Thank you. BRIEFING

TO: Tom FROM: Margaret Vernon RE: Fort Des Moines Memorial Park and Education Center (Black Officers and WAACS) DATE: MLK Birthday, Monday, January 21, 2002

9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Clayton Hall, Ft. Des Moines, Des Moines

Contact: Robert Morris, CEO of Fort Des Moines Memorial Park and Education Center Office, 515-282-8060; Cell, 975-5747

Directions: Corner of Army Post Road and Chaffee Road (which becomes South Union Street north of Army Post Road.) Take Chaffee Road one block south of Army Post Road and turn east into security checkpoint. Go to Clayton Hall.

Staff: Margaret Vernon, cell phone, 975-4741 (Also Bill Burton, Chris Fitzgerald, Ellen Huntoon, Pam Ringleb and Dianne Liepa driving.)

PURPOSE: 1. To honor Martin Luther King's birthday, as the premiere civil rights leader in our country, and to tie his leadership in the civil rights movement to the historical civil rights events at Ft. Des Moines. These events are the first black officers to be trained in the U.S. occurred during World War I at Ft. Des Moines, and the creation of the WAACS (Womens Army Auxiliary Corps) during World War II at Ft. Des Moines. 2. To mention your leadership in federal funding of $8.5 million from DOD over the last 3 years (FY00, FY01, and FY02.) This funding made it possible for the vision to grow from a statue at Ft. Des Moines to a museum/memorial park/ educational center in the making that will be an important center in the state for people to visit. 3. To recognize importance of this project as a growing public-private entity with the federal government taking leadership, but also help from the state, county, city funds. Private funds are now the target, with some generous donations already in.

Warning: Robert Morris has asked for 5 minutes with you. Details about funding process you'll want to refer to Lowell. If Robert tries to get promises of more funding, you may want to repeat what Lowell has told him and that is you expect this to be the last of the federal funds for this particular project. Page 2 Briefing, Fort Des Moines

PARTICIPANTS: Because of tight security at the Ft. Des Moines Army Reserve, this will be a fairly small group ofpossibly 30 people. We were asked not to make this a public event. Robert Morris, CEO and Steve Kirke, Chairman of the Board and other board members Speakers include: Robert Morris, m.c. Senator Tom Harkin Rev. Keith Ratliff, president of the Iowa NAACP and local pastor Mayor Preston Daniels Congressman Leonard Boswell Board Chairman Steve Kirke

Other known participants: David Maxwell, president of Drake University, and his wife, Madeline; David Walker, head of Drake Law School; Jaquie Easley and husband, Odell McGhee, representatives of Des Moines Convention and Visitor Bureau, South Des Moines Chamber, Clarke Company Limited, Mercy Medical Center, Polk County Supervisors Angela Connolly and Gene Phillips, Norwalk Chamber.

AGENDA: 1. Tour of Clayton Hall 2. Speakers (see above) 3. Tour of Chapel for those who have time

HISTORY OF FORT DES MOINES AND THIS PROJECT:

Fort Des Moines held the first officer candidate class (OCS) open to African-American men in 1917 during the First World War. The Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) was established in 1942 during World War II. Ft. Des Moines Memorial Park and Educational Center began in late 1997. The mission is to create and maintain a memorial park and international tourist attraction at Fort Des Moines honoring the first Black Officers, and the establishment of the WAACs and to celebrate how through these two historic events, our Armed Forces led greater American society toward racial and gender equality.

Funding History (by Lowell Ungar): You have obtained a total of $8.5 million for the memorial in Defense Appropriations bills. You got $2 million in FY00 and an additional $2 million in FY01 for Army Corps of Engineers work to renovate the abandoned site, return it to its original design, bring it up to code, and make it usable in general. For FY02 you obtained a $4.5 million grant to the non-profit group to turn the facility into a museum. We do not expect to obtain any further federal funds. The non-profit group has also raised state and local funds and private donations, and has ambitious fund-raising plans. Page 3 Briefing, Fort Des Moines

You also obtained a provision on the Defense Authorization bill this year to transfer the site from the Army to the non-profit group. This will be done after the Army Corps of Engineers finishes its work.

Senator Inouye (who earlier served in the same Division in which the Black officers had served) and Senator Stevens (at the request of Colin Powell and of Senator Grassley) have been supportive in including these funds in the appropriations bills. 01/14/02 MON 17:23 FAX 515 284 4937 SEN. TOM HARKIN DSM 16002

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Monday, February 28, 2000

Volume 16, Issue 9; ISSN: 0746-410X

Women of Influence Joel Palmer

Moines be without its philanthropists?

Without volunteers? Without voices?

It would be a place few would want to live. Des Moines would be devoid of safe neighborhoods. There'd be nobody to help the less fortunate. There would be an absence of the arts and other cultural attractions. Education would suffer.

Fortunately, that isn't the case. While there's always room for more unselfishness, the efforts of a few have had profound influence on the masses.

The Business Record's first Women of Influence awards celebrates the work of women who have made a difference. They've devoted their entire lives to doing things most wouldn't. They've spent countless hours on various boards. They've helped establish charitable foundations. They've raised money and donated some themselves. They're continually seeking ways to improve the city, never satihfied with mere one-time contributions. They're role models with impeccable ethics.

After sifting through dozens of nominations submitted by our readers, our panel chose 12 Women of Influence. In future years, the previous year's winners will serve on that panel.

The first dozen represent an abundance of history. Each overcame obstacles: In the prime of their lives, just being a woman was a major hurdle. Some made their names in fields like law and medicine. Others made their presence felt through politics. Some have acquired great wealth, while others live more modestly.

.The.one thing they have in common is the need to give, a trait bhanded down to them by their families and friends. It is a drive

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not known for its openness to women. She sought to change that, and convinced Don to hire more women in areas other than secretarial jobs. He did.

And so began a life of influence, both in business and society. One would be hardpressed to find a cause or organization she hasn't been involved with: Blank Park Zoo, Girl Scouts, Des Moines Symphony, Jewish Welfare Federation, United Way, Variety Club and March of Dime, - just to name a few.

"All these things are what being a part of the community is all about," she says. Where Blumenthal finds the time to do it, all only she knows. "What helps is that I have a lot of energy."

That stamina comes from a regimen only the likes of Bruce Jenner could handle. She's climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. She's run a marathon. She once was a ranked tennis player.

"You can't fear failure. If you don't try, you limit yourself." .Roxanne Barton Conlin is arguably the most powerful woman in Iowa. She's a former U.S. attorney. She claimed the Democratic nomination for governor in 1982. For the past decade, she's been president of her own law firm.

Conlin's influence spans three decades, beginning with her first foray into a private legal practice. She was emblematic of the rise of women in power in the '70s and early '80s.

In 1974, she was voted the Outstanding Young Woman of Iowa, A year latef, Redbook magazine proclaimed her one of "44 Women Who Could Save America." In 1976, McCall's magazine declared her as being qualified for a U.S. Cabinet position. In 1991, the National Law journal named her one of the 100 Most Influential Lawyers in the country. She made the journal's "50 Most Influential" list two years ago. Last year, the Kansas City Association of Women Lawyers established a scholarship in her name.

She's served on countless boards, including those of the YWCA, Dowling High School, Animal Rescue League and River Hills Child Care Center.

And perhaps most important, she's a grandmother. She departed last week with those grandchildren for Disney World.

You won't find the name Evelyn Davis on lists of major donors, or attached to any downtown high-rises. That's not where her influence lies.

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Davis' moniker is instead attached to a park on Forest Avenue, surrounded by run-down buildings and impoverished youths seeking a better life. It's those children that have been the focal point of her efforts since she arrived in Des Moines 60 years ago.

She doesn't have the resources to give them money. But she does provide hope.

"I work very hard to find federal funds, state funds, grant money to help these people improve their situation," she says. "If people don't make money, they can't improve their situation and they'll just remain in the ghetto."

She' raised awareness about the lack of daycare facilities for the less fortunate, and founded the Tiny Tot Family Outreach Center in response. She fought long and hard to get laws passed to protect at-risk children, decades before the term was even coined. Davis has also improved her neighborhood by helping to establish the Grubb YMCA and the Forest Avenue branch of the public library.

"It's rewarding to know you're helping to improve other people's live . I thank God that I'm able to do it."

Sacrifice is part of being Evelyn Davis. Her health has suffered from the physical and emotional strains. She's forfeited personal gain. She realizes, however, that others have paid more for freedom, people like Martin Luther King Jr.

"Freedom always come at a price," she says.

s she describes her years as a neonatal specialist, Norma Hirsch pauses as two tears stream down her face. She grabs the top tissue in a newly opened box and wipes her eyes. After a minute of composing herself, the discussion continues. -0 Hirsch worked for 25 years as a neonatalogist, trying to save babies small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Though she's been away from that field for several years, the emotions remain.

"It was my mother's influence that made me go to medical school," she says. "It was my father's influence that made me leave medicine."

Hiisch explains that her mother instilled in her a desire to help others. She received from her father a strong German work ethic and the need to question everything. Realizing she couldn't solve medicine's moral dilemmas as a neonatologist, Hirsch founded the Heartland Bioethics Center in 1996.

The Heartland Bioethics Center is housed in two cramped rooms on

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News A~cgtre Edna Griffin did the right thing By REKHA BASU Register Staff Writer NiiiifiiOdaion - 0dgnelly published 126/998

OElces Before institutional memory has faded, and the 88-year-old's time is over, Des Moines should erect a monument to Edna Griffin. 4Weltovt. TifflSiiice Chances are you don't know Griffin's name. No building or street carries Obituaries it. Iowa schoolchildren don't learn it when they study the civil rights Web Extras movement. And when lifetime Service Awards bearing the name of Martin Luther King Jr. were handed out to the governor and four others Forums last week in Des Moines, Griffin wasn't one of those honored. Begin o Sports * King's t But seven years before Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her seat to a white tragedy AEntertainment person on a bus touched off the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Edna Griffin 'Marketplaces in Des Moines had paved the way. Lesic bThe qu o Help In 1948, Katz Drug Store downtown, like many other eateries, didn't Ierita serve black people. Everyone knew that, including Griffin, a blowa's schoolteacher who had moved to Des Moines the year before with her husband, the late doctor, Stanley Griffin. Nonetheless, she went in with Comm her baby and two other black people one day in July, and ordered sodas. 0Civil ri Classr What happened next, or rather, what didn't - they were refused service - 0 Resour led to six weeks of protests and sit-ins, a lawsuit, and a court case which went all the way up to the state Supreme Court. Katz and two store managers were convicted of violating Iowa's civil rights law and an all-white jury awarded Griffin $1 in a civil suit-

Yet today, the woman once referred to as the "high priestess" of Iowa's civil rights movement sits all but forgotten in Des Moines' Ramsey Home, where I visited her last week. Sitting in a wheelchair, her gray hair pulled away from her face, her memory washed in and out like an electrical short circuit. But mention Katz and the memories come flooding back. "Just because it was right was why I was there," she said modestly. "It really wasn't a matter of great bravery."

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DAVID PETERSONffhe Register Edna Griffin, known as the Rosa Parks of Iowa, challenged prejudice 50 years ago by asking to be served at the Katz Drug Store in downtown Des Moines. A year later she and two other blacks had their right to equal service affirmed. It was a watershed event in the civil-rights movement.

Born in Kentucky, raised among white people on the East Coast, and educated at the all-black Fisk University in Nashville, Griffin had never before experienced discrimination directly. "It was as if you were suddenly not a citizen, not a member of the community," she recalled of the Katz incident. She and a few others wouldn't let up in their protests, though she remembers that not everyone in the black community embraced her efforts. "There's an effort to hide it, deny it," she said, referring to discrimination. A feeling of " 'Now why did you have to stir things up?'

Evelyn Davis, another legendary Des Moines activist in whose honor a * F library and park have been named, felt that way at first. Young and new to Des Moines, she said she, herself was "too chicken to protest," so she helped Griffin by running errands for her. Now she says every black person who dines out owes a debt to Griffin. "1 Griffin went on to found and head a chapter of the Iowa Congress of Racial Equality, organize Iowans for the 1963 King march on Washington, help start radio station KUCB and chair the NAACP's housing committee, among other things. She was inducted into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame, and awarded an honorary doctorate from Simpson College.

State Rep. Wayne Ford met the Griffins in the early 1970s when he, too, was new to town. Besides her legendary movement role, he remembers them as a rare middle-class black professional couple accessible to young people like himself.

As Griffin and I talked, a nursing home employee came in with pills and insulin, transporting us back to the present, when ordering a soda or

0 taking a seat on a public bus are no longer subversive acts. She was surprised by the yellowing newspaper articles about the woman in her care.

We can take so much for granted now because someone else paved the way. But as Griffin herself once said, quoting a famous line, "Ifyou don't know your history, you are condemned to repeat it."

And until we've permanently memorialized Edna Griffin for her defiance

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News Activists keep alive memory of Iowa's amW *Ugefn-6 "'"-f r ducation civil-rights pioneers Environment Fifty years ago, three blacks facing discrimination said b aon rl enough was enough Weather By SHIRLEY SALEMY ...... Register Staff Writer Orgnaly pubahed &21/1998

*Obituaries On a hot summer afternoon, two Des Moines residents Web Extras sat at a soda fountain in a downtown drugstore while a friend purchased a record. iForurns A waitress took the pair's order for ice Besin *Sports cream. But after someone King's t whispered to her, she told them, "We don't serve colored." tragedy Entertainment Marketplaces They asked to see the fountain manager. He told them: "It is the policy of LenAc our store that we don't serve colored; we don't have the proper I The qu Help equipment." Herita PIowa's Then, according to court records, the general manager of the store explained: "I cater to a large volume of white trade and don't have the Comm proper equipment to serve you." * Civil ri

The incident in 1948 at Katz Drug Store sparked picketing and sit-ins, aclassr lawsuits and a successful criminal case against the general manager for 0 Resour violating the Iowa civil-rights law. The state Supreme Court affirmed the conviction the following year.

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Now, the Iowa Civil Rights Commission plans to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the event on July 7 by honoring the three residents - John Bibbs, Edna Griffin and the late Leonard Hudson - and others who joined forces to successfully protest racial discrimination in the state. Fkil

0 J dJk~fL'1 ± I Be megusir Edua Griffin, known as the Rosa Parka of Iowa, challenged prejudice 50 years ago by asking to be served at the Katz Drug Store in downtown Des Moines. A year later she and two other blacks had their right to equal service affirmed. It was a watershed event in the civil-rights movement.

Their protest was one of courage and tenacity. Their story is a chronicle of African-Americans who successfully challenged society in the middle of the century to look and act beyond the confnes of color.

"It seemed to me to be the only thing to do," said Grifin, now 87, sitting in a wheelchair at the Ramsey Home in Des Moines. "You didn't have any other alternatives. That's really how it was."

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Said John Bibbs, 71, from his Des Moines home: "We don't talk about it anymore -things have gone past that point, Tt's something that needed to be done and someone had to do it, so I'm glad to have been able to take a part."

Talk - about race and race relations - is what Don Grove, executive director of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, wants to promote by commemorating the anniversary.

BOB NANDELIJ "We should do more of that -adults should, The Rtegister and kids i school,' said Grove, whose * John Bibbs said an organization scoured newspaper archives, law encounter with racism i libraries, government documents and residents the Navy drove hia into memories to establish a record of the event Des Moines' cvil-rights and find the surviving participants.

"We're hoping that by getting more and more people to know about what happened and why it is so significant by doing that it will encourage dialogue on race relations, perspectives and attitudes," Grove said.

Segregation stretched through Iowa. At the time of the Katz incident, blacks generally couldn't eat in downtown restaurants or stay in hotels there. In theaters, they were relegated to the balconies.

"The reality is, it not only happened but was pervasive here," said Russell Lovell, professor of law at Drake University and director of the Drake Legal Clinic who has studied Charles P. Howard, the noted civil-rights lawyer who represented Griffin in her lawsuit. "It was't like Katz was an outcast, an exception. It was virtually all downtown restaurants and movie theaters,

TEvelyn Davis, another activist in Des Moines, said she didn't carry any picket sips protesting drugstore practices because she was "chicken.

eButDavis, 77, helped the protesters behind the scenes. Nowadays, when she goes into establishments to eat, she sometimes thinks "about how far we've come" and on whose shoulders she and others stood to get there.

An Early Skirmish

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The Katz Drug Store protest occurred early in the nation's civil-rights history -seven years before Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Ala., sparking a boycott and inspiring civil-right activists throughout the country.

So the event in Des Moines is puzzling: What influenced the protesters? What spurred their activism?

Some people wonder whether they were boosted by Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers, who broke the color barrier in major Register tie league baseball in 1947. Or if they were The original Katz Drug influenced by Mohandas Gandhi, who had Store was at the corner of died earlier in 1948. Locust and Seventh , streets. Bibbs said his encounter with racism in the Navy spurred his action. Someone marching with him poked him in the ribs, then made a racist slur when Bibbs raised his voice in anger. When he reported the incident to authorities, he was the one who was punished-

"That gave me a clue as to where I was at in the world," he said. "I could be right or I could be wrong, it doesn't make a difference."

After the service, he became interested in the Progressive Party under Henry Wallace, an Iowan and former Democratic U.S. vice president, and its civil-rights stance, which he deemed favorable.

Through a provision of the G.I. Bill, Bibbs, a veteran looking for work, was able to receive $20 a week for up to 52 weeks from the federal government. That money, he said, helped provide him subsistence when protesting.

Many of the people on the picket line, he recalled, were women, including Betty Lou Bundy, whom he married-

Griffin's daughter Phyllis was an infant. Phyllis was with her mother that day in Katz Drug Store.

"We always knew she was bold," Phyllis Griffin said by phone from Chicago, where she is an associate professor of history at DePaul University. "But we didn't understand how much courage she has."

Edna Griffin's health now is fragile, her daughter said.

In a videotaped interview in 1989 with Ben Stone of the civil-rights commission, now head of the Iowa Civil Liberties Union, Griffin said there was no comparison with what transpired later in the South_

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"There was no connection, because those people put their lives on the line to get served," she said nine years ago. "Those women who walked every day. I don't know if we could have raised that kind of commitment here in support of the effort."

Bibbs thinks racism still exists but is not as overt. He called it a "quiet" racism.

At 11:30 a.m. July 7, the civil-rights commission will dedicate a commemorative plaque at the southeast corner of Seventh and Locust streets, where the drugstore once operated.

A reception and reunion will be held later at 4:30 p.m. that day at the Iowa Historical Building. The events are free and open to the public.

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News ISorsI Business I Famn I TehooyI.Enterminment I Forum I Help IaaI TLobs I KOM "meI ApatesI TSappingI VsmesIi S3sEribe Copyright @2002, The Des Moines Register. Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service (updated 7/31/2001).

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210 Walnut St. / Room 733 Federal Building / Des Moines, IA 50309 Phone (515) 284-4574 / FAX (515) 284-4937 01/17/02 THU 14:24 FAX 515 284 4937 SEN. TOM HARKIN DSM 0001

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Eihlnd Pak FnerANaHm Ever ife is signficanft Horne News News EVELYN DAVIS Funeral notices riculture ABusiness Des Moines a EClifieilurts Publishedon 10/30/2001 Search by name b Education b Environment Evelyn K. Scott Davis, 80, of the 1500 block of To search for an obituary Health Medical TLcalfGovt. 19th Street died Saturday at Mercy by name, please enter the FNation/World Center of complications of a stroke. Services irkiii ournists last name in the following Peope/Places will be at noon Wednesday at Maple Street field: P oltics Baptist Church, of which she was a member. 0 ~ion Burial will be at Glendale Cemetery. , vt. TechlScience and I Weather Mrs. Davis was born in Kansas City, Kan., had lived in Hiteman before moving to Des iObituaries Moines in 1939. She was a longtime leader in Search by city 'Web Extras child-care efforts in Iowa and was a dedicated advocate for the poor. She directed the Tiny To search for obituaries >Forums Tot Family Outreach Center for 25 years before by city, please enter the retiring in 1990. She was board chairwoman Sports city in the following emeritus for Tiny Tot and active with field: 0 Entertainment Sisters-on-Target, Friends of Forest Avenue Library, National Black Child Development P Marketplaces Institute Inc., local NBCDI chapter, Children's Defense Fund, Grubb YMCA, NAACP, & fLep Creative Visions, Urban Dreams, Willkie House, Rainbow-PUSH, Black Women"s Search by date Political Caucus, Democratic Party, Ethnic Minority Women"s Council and Irving To search for an obituary Neighborhood Association. She received an by date published in the honorary Doctorate of Laws degree from paper, please select the Grinnell College in 1994 and won the 1995 date: Alexis de Tocqueville Award. She also received the Sarah Hebrin Community Service Award in Janu6ar F 1996 and the Washington Carver Award from Simpson College and was Inducted into the Iowa Women"s Hall of Fame in 1983.

She is survived by two daughters, Donna Lewis of Des Moines and Sherrie Davis-Bruce of Roselle, Ill; four sons, Lawrence Davis Jr., Edward Davis and James Davis, all of Des Moines, and Robert Lewis of Minneapolis; a foster son, Eddie Collier of Des Moines, and a stepdaughter, Beverly Gilchrist of Chicago; two sisters: Clare Wade of Des Moines and Madeline Kipper of Mesa, Ariz.; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and

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great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lawrence.

Friends may call from 4 to 10 p-m- today at Nichols and Sons Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made to the Tiny Tot center, National Black Child Development Institute Inc., Des Moines chapter, her church, Urban Dreams, Creative Visions or Willkie House.

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Indian Wars (1870-1890)- The all-black 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments and 24th and 25th Infantry Regiments patrolled the high plains of Texas and the Southwest and played a major role in America's ability to take over those areas. Fourteen blacks won Congressional Medals of Honor. The blacks were known as the "Buffalo Soldiers."

Spanish-American War (1898)-The all-black 10th Cavalry and 25th Infantry helped win the battle of San Juan Hill and participated in the capture of Spanish forts at El Cavey, and Santiago. Private T. C. Butler of the 25th Infantry and Sergeant Major Edward L. Baker of the 10th Calvary were among eight black Medal of Honor winners.

World War I (1917-1918)-Black combat troops were assigned to the 92nd and 93rd divisions, regiments of which fought intense battles on French soil. One of these black infantry regiments, the famous "Fighting 369th," landed at Brest, France, in the spring of 1918, and remained on the front lines for nearly six months. The unit received France's highest military award, the Croix de Guerre. Privates Henry Johnson and Needham Roberts of the 369th were each awarded the Croix de Guerre for their bravery by the grateful French.

World War H (1941-1945)-African Americans played important roles in World War II, and many emerged heroes. General Benjamin 0. Davis, Sr., of the 92nd Division became the Army's first black general. For his bravery during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, black Messman Dorie Miller of the U.S.S. Arizona received both a Silver Star and the Navy Cross, the Navy's highest honor. Both Leonard R. Harmon of the U.S.S. San Francisco and William Pickney of the U.S.S. Enterprise also received the Navy Cross. Members of the 99th Pursuit Squadron (known as the Tuskegee Airmen), commanded by then Colonel Benjamin 0. Davis, Jr., flew over 500 combat missions and over 3,000 sorties against the Germans, and received 865 awards, including the Distinguished Flying Cross. In 1997, Vernon Baker became the first black American to receive the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award, for his heroic achievements during the war.

Korean War (1950-1953)-The black 24th Infantry Regiment was credited with the United Nations' first victory in Korea. Congressional Medals of Honor went to two black infantrymen for bravery, Private William H. Thompson and Sergeant Cornelius H. Charlton. Lieutenant Harry Sutton received a Silver Star posthumously. Sergeant Arthur Dudley received a Distinguished Service Cross for his efforts at the Battle of Ch'angyong.

Vietnam War (1965-1974)-Blacks were disproportionately represented in the makeup of the U.S. military forces in Vietnam. Private First Class Milton L. Olive III of Chicago was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously for falling on an exploding grenade and saving his comrades. Numerous other blacks also became Congressional Medal of Honor recipients. In 1989, General Colin L. Powell became the first African American to chair the Joint Chiefs of Staff While serving in Vietnam, Powell was wounded by a booby trap as he patrolled the Vietnamese border with Laos. In 1963, he was awarded the Purple Heart and, later, the Bronze star. On his second tour of duty in Vietnam in 1968-69, Powell received CRS-15

the Soldiers Medal. Powell has received numerous decorations, including the Legion of Merit.

Politics and Civil Rights

From the colonial period to the present, African Americans have sought to secure the basic rights of U.S. citizenship such as voting, holding public office by appointment or election, and sharing in opportunities to achieve social and economic security. Many blacks stepped forth to challenge discriminatory laws and practices and consequently left important political legacies. Through the enactment of federal and state legislation, and favorable judicial rulings, their quest for civil and human rights continues to be realized.

Blacks now serve inunprecedented numbers in elected and appointed positions at the highest levels of federal, state, and local government, including in the United States Congress. In the 105' Congress, 39 blacks serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and, for the first time, a black female in the U.S. Senate. Both Presidents Bush and Clinton have appointed blacks to their cabinets, among whom are former Secretary of Health and Human Services Louis W. Sullivan, Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman and Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater. At the local level, black mayors of large American cities include Ross Kirk, Dallas, TX (term expires 1999); Kurt Schmoke, Baltimore, MD (term expires 1999); Willie Herenton, Memphis, TN (term expires 1999); Marion Barry, Washington, DC (term expires 1998); Marc Morial, New Orleans, LA (term expires 1998); Richard Arrington, Birmingham, AL (term expires 1999); Willie Brown, San Francisco (term expires 1999); and Wellington Webb, Denver, CO (term expires 1999). Included among blacks elected to state legislatures are Senator Teresa P. Hughes of California, Representative Annette W. Carter of Connecticut, Senator Donne E. Trotter of Illinois, and Representative Theodore A. Brown of South Carolina. Blacks appointed to judgeships at the U.S. District Courts include Saundra B. Armstrong of North California and Charles N. Clevert, Jr. of Milwaukee. Appointees to the U.S. Courts of Appeal include R. Guy Cole to the Sixth Circuit and Timothy K. Lewis to the Third Circuit.

A few of many African-American political and civil rights leaders include the following:

Edward W. Brooke (1919- )-First black Member of Congress from Massachusetts and the first black elected to the Senate since Reconstruction. Elected to the Senate in 1966 and served from January 3, 1967 to January 3, 1979 (90' through 95' Congresses).

Ralph Bunche (1904-1971)-United Nations Undersecretary (1955-1971). For mediating the Palestine crisis, he became the first African American to receive the Nobel Peace Prize (1950).

Shirley Chisholm (1924- )-state legislator, educator, and U.S. Representative. In November 1968, the voters of the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of CRS-13 commentator on New York's WLIB-AM; Robert W. Matthews, manager of NBC Radio News and former anchorman for WBAL-TV; Pierre Montea "Pepe" Sutton, President of Inner City Broadcasting Corporation; and Percy E. Sutton, Board Chairman of Inner City Broadcasting.

Television

Blacks have contributed to modem television broadcasting, won numerous awards, and initiated many trends. Robert L. Johnson founded the Black Entertainment Television cable network in 1980. Blacks can be seen as anchors and hosts in broadcast and cable television in both network positions and on local channels. Malvin R. Goode (ABC) became the first black correspondent on network news in 1962. Sixteen years later, Max Robinson became the first black co-anchor for an evening news program when he joined ABC's World News Tonight in 1978. Bryant Gumble made news in early 1982 when he became the first black co-host on NBC's Today show. Some of the Nation's top news anchors are Bernard Shaw (CNN), Ed Gordon (BET), Carole Simpson (ABC) Edward R. Bradley (CBS), and Carol Jenkins (NBC). Successful black talk show hosts include Tony Brown (whose show is the longest-running African-American public affairs program) and Oprah Winfrey (whose show is produced by her own company).

Military

Although African Americans fought with distinction in every war of the United States, they struggled for centuries to achieve integration and equality in the military services. The limited steps toward racial integration taken during World War II were followed in 1948 by President Truman's executive order barring dejure segregation by race in the Armed Forces. The Korean War served to accelerate the movement toward defacto integration. Indeed, some leaders of the civil rights struggles of the 1960s pointed to the successfully integrated U.S. military as a model for the rest of American society. Blacks are arguably still underrepresented in the highest ranks, but promotions of blacks to high ranks have become so common that they often go unnoticed.. The following list identifies selected black military figures, by war.

American Revolution (1775-1781)-African Americans played many key roles during this war, including spies, Minutemen, infantrymen, laborers, cooks, and teamsters. Most remembered, perhaps, is Crispus Attucks who was a leader of Colonial protest and one of the first to die in the Boston Massacre.

Civil War (1861-1865)-A few of the many instances of black participation include: in 1862, Robert Smalls sailed a Confederate gunboat, the Planter,out of Charleston Harbor to the North and was declared a hero; the all-black First Regiment Louisiana Native Guards fought under the name Chausseurs D'Afrique in the Union Army; in 1863, Sergeant William H. Carney of the 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry became the first of 21 blacks to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. The highest ranking black commissioned officer in the Union was Lieutenant Colonel Alexander T. Agusta. History Page 1 of 2

FORT DES MOINES MEMORIAL PARK

MISSION The History TIHE PROTECT MVNUMENT The First World War presented the initial opportunity for black soldiers as a group to become ( EHWAL OF HONOR officers in the United States Army. Although three black officers had previously graduated We. CONTRIBU'rTONS served bravely on the plains, skeptics toward the first black officer candidate class, including F BOARDS Woodrow Wilson, argued that blacks lacked the intelligence and courage to lead troops in con GRADUATES CB3RONOILOGY Of the 1,000 black college graduates and faculty, and 250 non-commissioned officers from thE Cavalry "Buffalo Soldiers," and 24th and 25th Infantry, who comprised the 17th Provisional Tra at Fort Des Moines, 639 graduated as captains or lieutenants on 15 October 1917.

After completing basic training at sites across t including Camp Dodge, Iowa, they went on to I Division against Imperial Germany on the bloot of France in 1918. Many of those who survived returned to America to become leaders in the t equality and their sacrifices launched the integ corps of today serving in all of America's Arme

College graduates enlist at Fort Des Moines, 1917

During the Second World War, Fort Des Moines hosted the formation of the first Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), later renamed the Women's Army Corps (WAC), training 72,000 troops and commissioning the first female officers for non-combat duty between 1942-1945. Among the 436 initial WAAC officers were 39 black women who graduated as 3rd Officers (2nd Lieutenants) on 29 August 1942 and served in England and France in 1945. Fort Des Moines produced 118 black female officers and 3,656 enlisted women by war's end, representing 4% of all WAC troops. The success of the WACs freed 250,000 male soldiers for combat duty in Europe and the South Pacific.

With these two successful events, the military led the march WAACs at Fort Des Mo toward racial and gender inclusion and equality throughout greater American society.

http://www.fortdesmoines.org/history.shtml 1/17/02 History Page 2 of 2

"It'simportant we not forget our history.

It's (Fort Des Moines) an historic site. It is where we trained and members of the Women's Army Corps were also trainei

I think it will be good to preserve it, make a museum out of t restore the chapel and let it stand as an important part of thi part of the country and the military history of the nation."

Gen. Colin L. Powell, USA(ret), 1999

http://www.fortdesmoines.org/history.shtml 1/17/02