“Fort Huachuca is the home of the African American soldier in the United States". The
First African American troops to arrive in Arizona at Fort Huachuca were the Buffalo
Soldiers in the l890’s; the 9th and l0th Cavalries. The Fort Huachuca Buffalo Soldiers
distinguished themselves in the Spanish American War and the charge up San Juan Hill.
They were part of the Punitive Expedition into Mexico and were sent to Camp Naco,
Arizona, Camp Little in Nogales and other locations in Arizona to guard the Arizona
Borders during the Mexican Revolution. The 24th and 25th infantry regiments served at
Fort Huachuca until WW II..
During the WW II, Fort Huachuca was the home of the only two Black Divisions in the
history of the U.S. Army, the 92nd & 93 rd Divisions and subsequently the largest
concentration of black officers Over night, the old army post grew into a modem war
installation and the third largest city in the state, with an enormous cantonment area of
1400 new wood framed buildings. They included barracks, hospitals, maintenance
structures, offices, and warehouses. The larger of the two hospitals was the
only black commanded and staffed hospital in the Army and me largest in the country.
New recreation facilities sprung up in this new war complex Foster Ball Field was
named aher Rube Foster the manager of the Chicago Negro baseball teams and the Father
of Negro Baseball. Brock Baseball Field was named in honor of Sgt Fred Brock who
was the first 92nd Division soldier to die at this post of duty. The l5,000 capacity football
field was dedicated to Sergeant Andrew Wells. The training ring for Joe Lewis was just
below the Mountain View Black Officers Club, which he visited almost daily.
In 1942 the Mountain View Black Officers Club opened its doors to hundreds of black
officers. The only one of its kind ever designed for this purpose in the history of the
United States. For the thousands of black officers and enlisted men it was their social
center on Fort Huachuca It was the soldier’s clubhouse, their entertainment center.
Yes, Mountain View was one of a kind, alive and bristling with activity. The Fort
Huachuca swing band members were the pick of the enlisted musicians in the West. It
was alive with activities, performances, parties, weddings, sing- along, dancing. shows
and concerts. It had a hobby shop, game rooms, lounge, a library and a roomy balcony for
candle light dinners or just a quiet time for letters to love ones. Out side celebrities
performed in the club, Lena Horne, Pearl Bailey, Dinah Shore and others. Brigadier
General Benjamin O. Davis visited the club.
depicted African American military service in the U.S. Armed Forces from 1778 through
World War One. Perhaps the one event that illustrated the role of the Mountain View
Club as the center of African American activity at Fort Huachuca was the opening of an
exhibit of paintings in May of 1943, by Vernon Winslow, Hale Woodruff and Sculptor
Richmond Barthe, three of the nation’s outstanding figures in African American art.
The song "Huachuca" was written and composed by Captain Joe Jordan, a famous
composer and arranger while stationed at Fort Huachuca.
An original musical show produced and written at Fort Huachuca " GI Rhapsody,"
traveled the state and was filmed by Hollywood. in two War Bond drives, post bands
raised over $3,000,000.00 for the war effort.
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