Ordinary Men Build A Legendary Road
Black Engineers & The ALCAN Highway
The Army activated the segregated 97th Engineer Battalion on June1, 1941 at Camp Blanding, Florida. In November they moved to Eglin Airfield, Florida to construct and maintain roads, bombing ranges and auxiliary landing fields. In early 1942 the urgent Alaska Highway project needed more regiments. The Corps of Engineers, with no white regiments to spare,…
African American. Alaska Highway. Medical Detachment. Born: 9 March 1925, Terrell County, GA. Died: 6 July 1994, Bushnell, Sumter County, FL. Enlisted: 11 October 1941, Ft. Benning, GA and discharged 20 October 1945. Education: grammar school. Civilian occupation: truck driver. His father was Charlie Flowers, a delivery clerk at a hardware store. His mother was…
African American. Alaska Highway. Medical Detachment. Born: 10 November 1922, Sea Islands, Brunswick, GA. Died: June 1985. Enlisted: 26 June 1941, Ft. Benning, GA. Education: grammar school. Civilian occupation: messenger, errand boy. His father was Myers Hill, a wood cutter at Club Forest. His mother was Onie Hill, laundress at the Club. Pfc Hill was…
African American. Alaska Highway. Medical Detachment. Born: 16 March 1922, Port St. Joe, Bay County, FL. Died: December, 1955, Tampa, FL. Enlisted: 12 March 1941, Camp Blanding, FL. Education: grammar school. Civilian occupation: truck driver. His father was Henry Stanley, a laborer at the Naval Store. His mother was Lizzie. His wife was Mildred Stanley….
African American. Alaska Highway. Medical Detachment. Born: 20 (30) December 1914 (1913), Georgia. Died: 6 January 1985, Warner Robbins, Houston, GA. Enlisted: 18 March 1941, Ft. Benning GA and discharged 3 February 1950. Education: grammar school. Civilian occupation: cook. He was married. Pvt McGee was a member with the medical detachment assigned to the segregated…
African American. Alaska Highway. Medical Detachment. Born: 23 September 1922, Abbeville, Henry County, AL. Died: 13 June 2009, Abbeville, Henry County, AL. Enlisted: 17 March 1941, Ft. McClellan, AL and discharged 10 November 1945. Education: grammar school. Civilian occupation: truck driver. His father was Artie Kirkland, a barber, 1899-1965. His mother was Lucy Mathews Kirkland,…
African American. Alaska Highway. Medical Detachment. Born: 1912, Mason County, KY. Died: 29 March 1967, Brown, OH. He is buried in KY. The Salem News, Ohio article, 30 March 1967 “…Roy Dickerson, 55, Dover, KY., drowned in the Ohio River Wednesday when he fell from his boat while catching mussels near this Brown County town.”…
African American. Alaska Highway. Medical Detachment. Born: 23 June 1918, TN. Died: 6 September 1998, Johnson City, TN. Enlisted: 2 December 1941, Camp Forrest, TN and discharged 27 August 1945. Education: grammar school. Civilian occupation: janitor/sexton. His father was Wheeler Conley, a janitor in a theatre and his mother was Minnie Conley. Tech 5 Conley…
African American. Alaska Highway. Medical Detachment. Born: 30 December 1919, Stanley, Gaston County, NC. Died: 6 September 1965, Washington DC. Enlisted: 8 October 1941, Ft. Jackson, SC. Education: two years high school. Civilian occupation: cleaning, drying, pressing. His father was Moses Connor, a farmer and his mother was Dosha “Dedi” Rankin Conner. In 1940 census…
African American. Alaska Highway. Medical Detachment. Born: 1918, Alabama. Died: unknown. Enlisted: 18 March 1941, Ft. McClellan, AL. Education: grammar school. Pfc Clarke was a member with the medical detachment assigned to the segregated 97th Engineers. They arrived at Valdez, Alaska on 29 April 1942. The 97th Engineers built the northern section of the Alaska…