The African American Military Heritage Society is raising funds for a memorial bench to honor soldiers from the 867th Aviation Engineering Battalion known as the "Eglin 17," that were tragically killed in an explosion on 12 July 1943, when the base was Eglin Proving Grounds. The bench will be placed at the entrance of the African American Heritage Center currently under construction at the USAF Armament Museum. If you would like to contribute, please contact Mr. Jonathan Holmes Sr., at 850-603-3099, jonathan.holmes.6@us.af.mil, or Mr. Brian Olmsted at 850-882-4451, brian.olmsted@us.af.mil.
In November 1941, the 97th Engineer Battalion, "consisting of approximately 1,000 colored troops under the leadership of white officers," were transferred from Camp Blanding, Florida, to Eglin Field. The battalion, under the command of Maj. Benjamin C. J. Fowlkes, made up largely of Selective Service trainees, and activated 1 June 1941, was "engaged in clearing ranges and auxiliary flying fields and also in constructing and maintaining roads on the huge Eglin Field Reservation." The unit was expected to return to Camp Blanding upon completion of its task.
On 12 July 1943, Eglin suffered its worst loss of life when 17 personnel were killed in an explosives test at ~1700 hrs. Wartime censorship and the fact that 15 of the 17 were airmen of the African-American-staffed 867th Aviation Engineering Battalion contributed to the accident receiving virtually no publicity. The identities of the dead, including the two white officers supervising, were never released, and only one small newspaper article was published mentioning the incident. A documentary, The Eglin 17, debuted at the 2009 African American Heritage Month luncheon at the Eglin Air Force Base Officer's Club on 18 February 2009, providing the story of the forgotten accident. "The cause and circumstances surrounding the incident remain 'clouded in mystery,' according to the documentary," although Lt. Col. Allen Howser (Ret.), featured in the documentary, recalled that it was part of an exercise to test fire a newly acquired explosive.
The memorial bench below honors 17 soldiers of the 867th Engineer Aviation Engineering Battalion, an all-black unit. After these men were killed in a tragic explosion on the testing range of the Eglin Proving Grounds (now Eglin Air Force Base) on 12 July 1943, they became known as the “Eglin 17.” The 867th was part of the 923rd Regiment, also an all-black unit, that served with honor in the European-Mediterranean Theater of War in World War II. This bench is donated to The Air Force Armament Museum in their honor. Sponsor by The African American Military Heritage Society Florida Power & Light The Odom Group
Front of bench backrest:
Army Air Corps Insignia goes on far left.
Army Aviation Engineers Insignia goes on far right.
In between the two insignias would be the centered text:
Eglin Proving Grounds
867th Army Engineering Regiment
12 July 1943
Under that would be the list of names:
Pvt. Peter Brown, Pvt. Senior J. Covington, Pfc. Othe Cox, Binger, Pvt. Thomas Daniels,
Pvt. Fred Davis, T-5 Carlton Dusch, Pvt. George. W. Foreman, Pfc. Theodore H. Hamilton,
2nd Lt. Marvin P. Hollander, Pvt. Lynwood Hargrove, 2nd Lt. Willian H. Myers, Cpl. Lucien J. Payne,
Pfc. Freddie J. Purley, Pvt. Governor Robinson, Pvt. Clifton Summerlin,
Pvt. Buddie Walker, Pvt. George. J. Walker
Total cost for project:
$7,500.00
