World War II Chronicle: May 28, 1941
Click here for TODAY’S NEWSPAPER
Elmer D. Jones Jr. has sworn in, making him the first colored recruit for the Army Air Corps. Jones already earned a pilot’s license while earning his degree at Howard University and before he completes secondary flight training he is selected for technical officer training. Jones is commissioned in December and becomes the Commanding Officer and Engineering Officer of the 99th Service Detachment at Tuskegee, Ala…
A map of the running battle to sink the German battleship Bismarck is on page five… The amphibious vehicle being tested at Buffalo, N.Y. (see page 15) is likely the Amphibian Car Company’s “Aqua Cheetah,” which can do anything but climb a tree…
The U.S. Military Academy Class of 1941 is about to graduate and some members are pictured on page 25. Among the cadets is James D. Fowler. The cadet’s honor code forbid students from talking to their colored classmate, but Jim Reed refused to go along. His company stood with him, so if anyone went after Reed, they would have to take on his company too. Applause is usually limited to before and after the graduating class is introduced, but they did give Fowler an ovation when his name was called. No telling what he had to endure, but he made it. And he had two sons attend West Point as well. His son James Jr. is the first second-generation black graduate in Academy history. James Sr. retired as a colonel and passed away in 1985.
Among the graduates are Alexander R. Nininger will soon earn the first Medal of Honor of the war, and George S. Brown, future Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who flew 25 bombing missions over Europe before requesting another tour.
Sports section begins on page 46, and tonight the Nationals play their first night game at Griffith Stadium. Walter Johnson will throw a pitch through an electric beam to turn on the lights. Washington’s owner Clark Griffith previously said that night baseball was “bush league stuff” but night baseball brought in a lot of fans. This wasn’t the first night baseball at Griffith though: a Negro League game was played here back in 1932. Former Gas House Gang third baseman Pepper Martin has retired from baseball (for now, at least), but is doing quite well as a minor league manager.
Evening star. (Washington, D.C.), 28 May 1941. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1941-05-28/ed-1/