Ordinary Men Build A Legendary Road
Black Engineers & The ALCAN Highway
African American. Alaska Highway. Medical Detachment. Born: 23 October 1918, Newville, Henry County, AL. Died: unknown. Enlisted: 17 March 1941, Ft. McClellan, AL. Education: grammar school. Civilian occupation: farm laborer and on his 1940 draft card he was employed with Kirkland Brothers. His father was Johnie Coleman. Tech 5 Coleman was with a medical detachment…
African American. Alaska Highway. Medical Detachment. Born: 19 May 1915, Madison, Wisconsin. Died: 6 March 1995, Madison, Wisconsin. Enlisted: 11 April 1941, Milwaukee, Wisconsin and discharged 20 August 1945. Education: 4 years at Madison West High School. He also attended University of Wisconsin in Madison. Civilian occupation: mechanic, repairman, motor vehicles. After the war he…
African American. Alaska Highway. Medical Detachment. Born: 4 October 1917, Wyandotte, KS. Died: 19 May 1978, Silver Springs, Montgomery, MD. Enlisted: 2 September 1941 Wyandotte, KS and discharged 27 November 1945. Education: 4 years of high school and attended University of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies. His father was Lilburn D. William…
African American, Alaska Highway, 97th Regiment Medical Detachment. Born: 8 September 1918, Biloxi, MS. Died: 9 February 2003, Biloxi, MS. Enlisted: 28 October 1941, Jacksonville Army Air Field, FL and discharged 25 December 1945. Education: Two years high school. Thomy Lafon and J.W. Hoffman schools in New Orleans. After the war he studied offset printing…
African American, Alaska Highway, 97th Regiment Medical Detachment. Born: 6 February 1920, Camden, Wilco, AL. Died: 6 February 2003, Dayton, OH. Enlisted: 17 March 1941, Ft. McClellan, AL. Education: grammar school. Civilian occupation: chauffeur/truck driver. In 1940 census he worked as a yard man. His father was Willie Hines and in 1940 census he worked…
African American, Alaska Highway, 97th Regiment Medical Detachment. Born: 2 March 1916, Eaton, Putnam County, GA. Died: 8 August 1995, Los Angeles, CA. Enlisted: 18 March 1941, Ft. Benning, GA and discharged 27 September 1945. Education: grammar school. Civilian occupation: mechanic, repair man and in 1940 census he was listed as a truck driver for…
African American, Alaska Highway, 97th Regiment Medical Detachment, Served in WW2 and Korean War. Born: 14 February 1917, Tennille, Polk, Georgia. Died: 24 September 1996, Gallatin, TN. He died at Sumner Regional Hospital of a massive heart attack. Enlisted: 12 March 1941, Camp Blanding, FL. Education: four years High School. Civilian occupation: Employee at Oldham…
African American, Alaska Highway, 97th Regiment Medical Detachment, Regular Army. Born: 13 July 1894 (1899), Fulton County, GA. Died: 5 September 1962, Illinois. Enlisted: 23 December 1938. Education: Post graduate. 1910 Census: Susan Berrien listed as his mother, widow, born in GA, age 44, occupation laundress. Cornelius, age 15, was a laborer for the railroad….
Alaska Highway. Company B. Born: 23 November 1908, Altona, PA. Died: 13 March 1982, Broward, FL. Enlisted: 25 November 1942 and discharged 16 April 1946. The segregated 97th Engineer Regiment arrived at Valdez, Alaska on 29 April 1942. Three feet of snow covered the ground. Their mission was to build the northern section of the…
Alaska Highway. Headquarters. Born: 21 August 1908, Davenport, Scott, Iowa. Died: 17 January 1970, Davenport, Scott, Iowa. Enlisted: 19 March 1941, Ft. Belvoir, VA. Discharged: 19 April 1946. Education: five years college. Attended University of Illinois and obtained a degree in architecture. A member of ROTC and received his 2nd Lt. commission 1931. The Daily…