As America’s Greatest Memorial to Black and Female Soldiers, Fort Des Moines is the only military installation to hold the distinction of launching black and women commissioned officers and female enlisted troops into the United States Army.
Set for dedication in July 2004, our five (5) acre park includes a 20,000 sq. ft. museum, historic Chapel, reflecting pool and monument by noted sculptor Richard Hunt. In order to achieve sustained nation-wide outreach, Fort Des Moines has introduced a unique National Education Project (NEP) which is timely since, according to the U.S. Census, the majority of American’s will be non-white by year 2055 as will our Armed Forces.
The project’s mission is to educate America’s youth with an accurate portrayal of black and female contributions to military history and their impact on equality in greater society. This youth education will enhance understanding of, support for and participation in America’s Armed Forces.
The NEP offers multi-cultural, non-sexist academic lessons related to the military command integration that occurred at Fort Des Moines. The first U.S. Army officer candidate schools open to black Americans in 1917 and to women in 1942 as part of the first Women’s Army Corps give our National Historic Site a unique place in history. The target audience for the academic lessons are k-12 youth who possess a limited knowledge of non-white and female contributions to the military and the nation. The curriculum and documentary programs will be distributed nation-wide via internet and educational television at no cost to the end users. The program includes a series of evaluation measures to insure classroom usage and effectiveness.
Our National Education Project, an unprecedented educational initiative, is a dynamic response to the diversifying needs of our nation and our Armed Forces. To this end, we request a $2.1 million appropriation to develop and implement this great project in the long-term interest of our national defense.
