Omega Men at Fort Des Moines: Fraternity, Leadership, and Legacy
- NAACP Des Moines
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
As the first training site for African American officers in the U.S. Army, Ft. Des Moines drew courageous men from across the country: educators, professionals, and civic leaders committed to serving their country despite the realities of segregation and systemic racism.
Among those who arrived on its grounds were members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Proud of their academic excellence and service mission, the Omega men recognized that Fort Des Moines was not only a battlefield preparation site but also a proving ground for racial progress.
A War Chapter Is Born
The Fraternity formally petitioned Grand Basileus James C. McMorries to establish a “War Chapter” at the camp. With its approval, Omega Psi Phi’s legacy was cemented at Fort Des Moines. Brother Jesse Solomon Heslip was appointed Basileus. The chapter became a place of fellowship, purpose, and preparation in the midst of an extraordinary chapter in American history.
Founders Who Served
Two of Omega’s founders, Edgar Amos Love and Frank Coleman, trained at Fort Des Moines and later received their commissions as First Lieutenants in the 79th Division at Camp Meade, Maryland. Their assignments were formalized under Special Order No. 110, a significant directive that positioned Black officers for leadership roles in combat units, a rare and groundbreaking decision during World War I.
Special Order No. 110 defied expectations. It ensured that African American officers, often relegated to non-combat support roles, would serve in fighting units alongside their white counterparts. Love and Coleman’s commissions not only affirmed their military competence but also their leadership in a moment when Black excellence was routinely suppressed.
A Brotherhood of Service
These early Omega men, some of the earliest initiated, went on to lead in education, law, medicine, and public service after the war. Their names deserve to be remembered:
William Isaiah Barnes
Francis Morse Dent
Thomas Dent Jr.
Warmoth T. Gibbs
Charles Young Harris
Jesse Solomon Heslip
Campbell C. Johnson
Linwood G. Koger
John Wesley Love
Walter H. Mazyck
Mosby B. McAden
William S. Nelson
John Henry Purnell
Levi Edgar Rasbury
Ten additional men were initiated into Omega Psi Phi through the War Chapter and received their commissions at Fort Des Moines, continuing the tradition of leadership forged on those training grounds.
Their Legacy Lives On
Today, more than a century later, their courage and commitment continue to inspire service. On June 14, 2025, the NAACP Des Moines Branch, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and other fraternity partners will host a historic marker unveiling at Fort Des Moines to honor the African American officers who trained there—officers who, like the Omega men, shaped the course of civil rights through quiet, steadfast service in the face of injustice.
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
Sources:
Matthews, Jonathan A. (2015). “Omega’s War Chapter.” The Oracle, Fall 2015, pp. 12–15.
Thompson, John L. (1917). History and Views of Colored Officers Training Camp for 1917 at Fort Des Moines, Iowa.
Chase, Hal S. (1978). "Struggle for Equality: Fort Des Moines Training Camp for Colored Officers, 1917." Phylon, 39(1), 26–38.
World War I Centennial Commission. "The Legacy of the WWI Ft. Des Moines Black Officers Training Camps."