Subscribe
Lt. Gen. Clarence R. Huebner (center) inspects the honor guard commanded by 1st Lt. Roscoe Cartwright at the Kitzingen Basic Training Center for Negro troops. The deputy EUCOM commander toured the extensive former air base with 20 generals and staff officers from Frankfurt and the 1st Military District for six hours. The U.S. Armed Forces were still segregated in January 1948. President Harry Truman’s executive order 9981 abolishing discrimination in the armed services “on the basis of race, color, religion or national origin,” which led to the end of segregation in the armed services, was issued July 26, 1948.

Lt. Gen. Clarence R. Huebner (center) inspects the honor guard commanded by 1st Lt. Roscoe Cartwright at the Kitzingen Basic Training Center for Negro troops. The deputy EUCOM commander toured the extensive former air base with 20 generals and staff officers from Frankfurt and the 1st Military District for six hours. The U.S. Armed Forces were still segregated in January 1948. President Harry Truman’s executive order 9981 abolishing discrimination in the armed services “on the basis of race, color, religion or national origin,” which led to the end of segregation in the armed services, was issued July 26, 1948. (Gerald Waller/Stars and Stripes)

This article first appeared in print in the Stars and Stripes European edition Jan. 14, 1948. It is republished unedited in its original form. Additional images taken that day were also published Jan. 22, 1948.

KITZINGEN, Germany, Jan. 13, 1948 (S&S) — Lt. Gen. Clarence R. Huebner today surveyed the Kitzingen Basic Training Center for Negro troops, the Army's only experimental school of its kind.

The deputy EUCOM commander toured the extensive former air base with 20 general and staff officers from Frankfurt and the 1st Mil. Dist. for six hours. The visitors were guided by Brig. Gen. Lewis C. Beebe, commandant of the center, and Lt. Col. Marcus Ray, EUCOM adviser on Negro affairs.

"This center," Huebner declared, "is the spark plug of the whole Negro population in the European Command."

Lt. Gen. Clarence R. Huebner leaves the Training Aids building at the Kitzingen Basic Training Center for Negro troops, the Army’s only experimental school of its kind. The center, which expects to reach full operation by May 1, plans eventually to train every Negro soldier in the EC, as well as any arriving as replacements.

Lt. Gen. Clarence R. Huebner leaves the Training Aids building at the Kitzingen Basic Training Center for Negro troops, the Army’s only experimental school of its kind. The center, which expects to reach full operation by May 1, plans eventually to train every Negro soldier in the EC, as well as any arriving as replacements. (Gerald Waller/Stars and Stripes)

Lt. Gen. Clarence R. Huebner (left) tours the Kitzingen Basic Training Center for Negro troops, accompanied by Brig. Gen. Lewis C. Beebe (second from left), commandant of the center, and Lt. Col. Marcus Ray, EUCOM adviser on Negro affairs (next to Beebe).

Lt. Gen. Clarence R. Huebner (left) tours the Kitzingen Basic Training Center for Negro troops, accompanied by Brig. Gen. Lewis C. Beebe (second from left), commandant of the center, and Lt. Col. Marcus Ray, EUCOM adviser on Negro affairs (next to Beebe). (Gerald Waller/Stars and Stripes)

Lt. Gen. Clarence R. Huebner (second from right) inspects one of the classrooms of the Kitzingen Basic Training Center for Negro troops, as the center’s commandant, Brig. Gen. Lewis C. Beebe (right of Huebner) listens.

Lt. Gen. Clarence R. Huebner (second from right) inspects one of the classrooms of the Kitzingen Basic Training Center for Negro troops, as the center’s commandant, Brig. Gen. Lewis C. Beebe (right of Huebner) listens. (Gerald Waller/Stars and Stripes)

The center, which expects to reach full operation by May 1, plans eventually to train every Negro soldier in the EC, as well as any arriving as replacements. Every three months 900 new men will pass through its classrooms and field exercises, though rifle outfits will stay only one month.

Classroom instruction ranges from literacy training to courses on high school level. Each soldier will receive 10 hours instruction a week in English, arithmetic, geography and other school subjects.

"There are 14,000,000 Negroes in the U.S.," Huebner stated. "If the Nation is to utilize this manpower in the Army, we must develop its leadership potential."

Inspecting the center in a heavy rain, the deputy EUCOM chief saw preparations for a vast recreation hall with two basketball courts, a snack bar, a tailor shop and other facilities. He visited a class on the M1 rifle and several other classes.

Lt. Gen. Clarence R. Huebner (center) tours one of the buildings of the Kitzingen Basic Training Center for Negro troops under renovation. Brig. Gen. Lewis C. Beebe (right of Huebner) — the center’s commandant — discusses the preparations for a vast recreation hall with two basketball courts, a snack bar, a tailor shop and other facilities.

Lt. Gen. Clarence R. Huebner (center) tours one of the buildings of the Kitzingen Basic Training Center for Negro troops under renovation. Brig. Gen. Lewis C. Beebe (right of Huebner) — the center’s commandant — discusses the preparations for a vast recreation hall with two basketball courts, a snack bar, a tailor shop and other facilities. (Gerald Waller/Stars and Stripes)

Lt. Gen. Clarence R. Huebner (left) talks to some of the soldier-students at the Kitzingen Basic Training Center for Negro troops, accompanied by Brig. Gen. Lewis C. Beebe, commandant of the center (center) and Lt. Col. Marcus Ray, EUCOM adviser on Negro affairs (right).

Lt. Gen. Clarence R. Huebner (left) talks to some of the soldier-students at the Kitzingen Basic Training Center for Negro troops, accompanied by Brig. Gen. Lewis C. Beebe, commandant of the center (center) and Lt. Col. Marcus Ray, EUCOM adviser on Negro affairs (right). (Gerald Waller/Stars and Stripes)

Lt. Gen. Clarence R. Huebner talks to T/5 T.C. Thompson in one of the classrooms at the Kitzingen Basic Training Center for Negro troops. Classroom instruction ranges from literacy training to courses on high school level.

Lt. Gen. Clarence R. Huebner talks to T/5 T.C. Thompson in one of the classrooms at the Kitzingen Basic Training Center for Negro troops. Classroom instruction ranges from literacy training to courses on high school level. (Gerald Waller/Stars and Stripes)

"We are seeking a high standard of soldiering," Huebner said, "and we want to give these men the best available instruction in other subjects. The two are not incompatible."

It is estimated that more than a year will be needed to pass through the school all the Negro units now in the theater.

Among the ranking officers accompanying Huebner were Maj. Gen. James A. Van Fleet, Maj. Gen. Frank W. Milburn, Maj. Gen. Carter B. Magruder and Brig. Gen Don G. Shingler.

Looking for Stars and Stripes’ historic coverage? Subscribe to Stars and Stripes’ historic newspaper archive! We have digitized our 1948-1999 European and Pacific editions, as well as several of our WWII editions and made them available online through https://starsandstripes.newspaperarchive.com/ 

Sign Up for Daily Headlines

Sign up to receive a daily email of today's top military news stories from Stars and Stripes and top news outlets from around the world.

Sign Up Now