Alpha Men at Fort Des Moines: Courage Commissioned

In 1917, a determined cohort from Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the nation’s first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity for African American men, arrived at Ft. Des Moines. When the opportunity to train as military officers emerged, the fraternity urged its members to lead from the front. Through letters, advocacy, and personal sacrifice, Alpha men helped ensure the success of the training camp.

A Fraternal Call to Service

Alpha Phi Alpha was deeply involved in lobbying for the camp’s creation, recognizing that the fight against tyranny abroad must include a fight for dignity at home. Their mobilization efforts were so effective that thirty-two Alpha men were granted commissions. Four became captains. Most served with distinction as first lieutenants in racially segregated units across Europe.

Among these pioneering officers was Victor R. Daly, a Cornell graduate who joined the 367th Infantry Regiment and later earned the Croix de Guerre in France. Daly's wartime photographs, now preserved in Cornell’s archives.

Known Alpha Phi Alpha Members at Fort Des Moines

From the pages of History and Views of Fort Des Moines Officers Training Camp 1917 by John L. Thompson, we find additional names of Alpha men who answered the call to serve:

• John Alexander Holmes Bailey

• Henry Hall Boger

• Merrill H. Curtis

• Julian Dawson

• Burnett E. Ferguson

• Dillard Jesse Firse

• Leroy H. Godman

• Wayne Leslie Hopkins

• Clarence Sumner Janifer

• Charles Lee Jefferson, Jr.

• Gordon H. Jones

• Ralph Eugene Mizell

• Charles Henry Dean Mohr

• William Jenifer Powell

• Charles Gardner Reed

• Julian Paris Rodgers

• Henry Ingle Wilson

• James Henry Nelson Waring, Jr.

• Charles Alexander Tribbett

  
  

These men came from different hometowns and walks of life, but each shared a singular commitment to leadership, racial uplift, and the responsibilities of Black manhood in the early 20th century. Their commission was not just military—it was moral. And their legacy remains not just historical—but foundational. Join us in honoring these trailblazers and ensuring their contributions are never forgotten.

📅 Fort Des Moines Historic Marker Unveiling

🗓️ Saturday, June 14, 2025

📍 Fort Des Moines Historic Site

📩 RSVP: https://www.naacpdesmoines.org/events-1/fort-des-moines-historic-marker-unveiling

Sources:

1. Cornell University Library – “Alpha Phi Alpha and the Great War”

2. Thompson, John L. (1917). History and Views of Colored Officers Training Camp for 1917 at Fort Des Moines, Iowa.

3. Medium Article – “First Black Officers Trained for World War I at Fort Des Moines 100 Years Ago”