Fort Leonard Wood Restores Building And Mural To Honor Segregation-Era Soldiers

The mostly nondescript Building 2101 at Fort Leonard Wood was the home of the Black Officers' Club before the Army was desegregated in 1948.

The building had been slated for demolition, but a preservation effort restored it. The goal is to honor African American soldiers who served in difficult times.

The restoration included a mural by Staff Sgt. Samuel Countee painted above the fireplace in 1945. Countee’s niece, Sammie Ellis, said the project honors the values of her uncle and his fellow soldiers.

“They were going forward to represent the country and defend it,” Ellis said. “And I believe what my uncle did exemplifies what we should all be about.”

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/fort-leonard-wood-restores-building-and-mural-honor-segregation-era-soldiers