African -American Soldiers at Camp Claiborne
Over 1.2 million African-American soldiers proudly served their country during World War II. Although, the military did not officially desegregate the Armed Forces until after World War II, African-American soldiers made many important contributions during the war. Camp Claiborne was home to several African-American units which made significant contributions to the war efforts in the European and Pacific theaters.
761st Tank Battalion
The 761st Tank Battalion was an independent tank Battalion consisting of African-American soldiers who served under the command of the 5th Tank Group while at Camp Claiborne. Known as the Black Panthers, the 761st was activated at Camp Claiborne on April 1, 1942. The unit began training in M5 Stuart light tanks where they learned how to maneuver, mount, dismount, and maintain the vehicle's 37-mm main gun and .30-caliber machine guns.
In 1944, General George S. Patton, who was familiar with the unit, requested the 761st to be assigned to his command. Under Patton's command of the Third Army, the 761st fought through France, often at the leading edge of the advance. The unit endured 183 days of continuous operational involvement. In the final days of the war in Europe, the 761st was one of the first American units to reach the Steyr River in Austria.
91st and 93rd Engineer General Service Regiments
The 91st and 93rd Engineer Battalions were attached to the Engineer General Service Regiments. While at Camp Claiborne they were assigned to assist in the construction of the Claiborne-Polk Military Railroad.
After the Claiborne-Polk Military Railroad was completed, the 91st Battalion was assigned to the Pacific Theater to support combat troops where they made significant contributions to the war effort in New Guinea and Philippines.
The 93rd Engineer Battalion left Camp Claiborne and was assigned as one of seven engineer regiments responsible for constructing the Alaska-Canadian Highway known as the ALCAN Highway. The ALCAN Highway was constructed across Canada to connect the lower 48 States with Alaska.
The 93rd Engineer Battalion, along with other engineer battalions, worked in freezing temperatures to construct the highway across the Canadian wilderness. Each of the seven battalions working on the ALCAN Highway was assigned to construct 350 miles of highway.
Corp Area 8th Service Command
The Garrison Command managed and maintained the day-to-day operations Camp Claiborne. These soldiers with their civilian counterparts were responsible for providing Camp Claiborne soldiers with all the services that a city would provide for its citizens. In addition to housing, food, and medical services, they also provided transportation, legal assistance, laundry, postal services, and numerous other services for soldiers.