This Iowa museum holds the lost history of an all-Black WWI regiment

Camp Dodge’s All-Black Officer Regiment Training Transformation

In June 1917, Camp Dodge went from tiny Iowa National Guard post to war machine almost overnight.

The U.S. took the 78-acre site and turned it into a 6,400-acre city with 1,500 buildings in just months.

Soon after, something rare took shape there. The 366th Infantry Regiment formed with 2,800 Black men from Alabama, Iowa, and Illinois.

Unlike most Black units, this one had all Black officers. They trained through Iowa’s harsh winter before shipping to France in June 1918.

There, they fought in three major sectors and caught the first German POWs for their division. The story of Camp Dodge and its Black regiment awaits at the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum in Johnston.

Uncle Sam Took Over Iowa’s Small Training Post in 1917

The government grabbed Camp Dodge on June 18, 1917, completely changing the small 78-acre Iowa National Guard training ground.

War planners chose it as one of just 16 regional training centers to get American troops ready for World War I.

This marked the start of massive growth that turned the modest camp into a huge military city. Major Millard Butler got the tough job of running this giant construction project as workers poured in.

Workers Flooded the Site That Summer

Building started in late June 1917 with an army of workers tackling the huge job. The tiny 78-acre post grew to 6,400 acres in just months, making it 82 times bigger.

Workers faced tough schedules as they rushed to build enough housing before winter. Teams worked day and night under bright lights.

Buildings went up across the Iowa countryside faster than most people thought possible.

A New City Grew from Iowa Farmland

Workers built over 1,500 buildings in just a few months, creating what looked like a new city. The camp had 150 two-story barracks, each holding 150 men.

Crews laid down 32 miles of water pipes for the thousands of people living there. The cost reached nearly $10 million, a huge amount in 1917.

Locals watched in amazement as the camp took shape before their eyes.

Camp Life Went Beyond Basic Training

The camp included a huge 2,196-bed hospital for sick and hurt soldiers. The camp theater held 3,000 people, making it Iowa’s biggest movie house at that time.

Soldiers could visit any of eight YMCA halls for fun, writing letters, and hanging out. The camp also had several libraries and three fire stations to protect the wooden buildings.

With 40,000 people, Camp Dodge quickly became one of Iowa’s largest communities.

Alabama Recruits Formed the 366th

Late October 1917 brought 2,600 Black draftees from Alabama to the camp, joining 127 from Iowa and 97 from Illinois.

Together, they formed the 366th Infantry Regiment, a segregated unit. The Army kept strict racial separation, with Black troops put in all-Black units.

The camp grew more diverse as recruits came from across America, though they lived and trained in separate facilities.

Black Officers Led Black Troops in a Military First

The 366th stood out because all its officers were Black, not white. Most Black soldiers in WWI served under white officers, making the 366th unusual in the military.

These Black officers faced extra pressure to succeed in a system stacked against them. Their leadership jobs created a small crack in military segregation, though the unfair system mostly stayed in place.

Southern Soldiers Froze Through Iowa’s Winter

The Alabama recruits got a harsh shock when winter hit Camp Dodge with brutal cold and snow. Many had never seen such freezing weather before coming to Iowa.

Training went on despite the cold, with soldiers learning combat skills in tough conditions. The men lived in separate quarters, ate in different mess halls, and used separate recreation areas than white troops.

They pushed through the hard winter months, growing stronger as a unit.

Trains Took the 366th to War in June 1918

The 366th Infantry Regiment left Camp Dodge in early June 1918, boarding trains heading east toward Europe.

After reaching the coast, they got on ships to France, where they joined the famous 92nd “Buffalo Soldiers” Division.

Families gathered to say goodbye, knowing many might never return. The soldiers faced both the enemy abroad and racism in their own military.

The Regiment Fought Across Three Major Battlegrounds

The 366th saw its first combat in the St. Die sector from August 23 to September 20, 1918.

They moved to the massive Meuse-Argonne offensive from September 26 to October 5, joining one of the largest American operations of the war.

Their final combat came in the Marbach sector from October 8 until the war ended on November 11, 1918.

The men fought bravely across these battlefields despite facing discrimination from their own military leadership.

The 366th Captured the First German POWs for Their Division

Soldiers from the 366th Infantry Regiment captured the first German prisoners taken by the entire 92nd Division, proving their combat effectiveness.

They earned two campaign streamers for their service in France, official recognition of their contributions to the American war effort.

The men fought with distinction even while dealing with prejudice and segregation that followed them overseas.

Their combat record spoke for itself, challenging racist notions about Black soldiers.

America Disbanded Its Black Heroes in Georgia

The Army demobilized the 366th Infantry Regiment on March 25, 1919, at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. The soldiers who had fought for democracy abroad returned to a country that denied them basic rights at home.

Camp Dodge went back to National Guard control after the war, though it remained much larger than before.

The 366th’s service opened doors for future Black military units, though full integration wouldn’t come until decades later.

Their story remains an important chapter in both Iowa’s history and America’s long struggle for equality.

Visiting Iowa Gold Star Military Museum, Johnston

The Iowa Gold Star Military Museum at 7105 NW 70th Avenue in Johnston shows how Camp Dodge grew from a small training ground into a huge WWI base.

You’ll see over 30,000 square feet of military artifacts and learn about the 366th Infantry Regiment, one of the few all-Black officer units.

Admission is free but you need government photo ID to enter the base. Drop-in tours happen Saturdays at 11:30am.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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