William G. Washington was APG's first African-American company commander


by Meghan Heimbach
APG News


Nearly six years before the Armed Forces were integrated, the first black company commanding officer arrived at Aberdeen Proving Ground.

Maj. William G. Washington, commander of Company D, 2nd Regiment, came to APG as a captain in November 1942. Not until July 1948 did President Harry S. Truman's executive order integrate the Armed Forces. An article printed in a local newspaper at that time noted that Washington had "the distinction of being Aberdeen's first Negro commanding officer."

During Washington's time in service, spanning the years from World War I to World War II, being a black soldier was not easy; being a black officer was even tougher. Kenneth Hilton, manager of the Black Employment Program at APG, explained that being an African-American was not just difficult at APG and in the military, but around the country as well.

"I imagine it was extremely difficult," he said. "Captain Washington came to APG in 1942, the same year I was born, and by the time I arrived here in 1966 a lot of things were still not equal."

Hilton explained that for a black soldier taking the position of a company commander, especially during a time when thee was "a lot to deal with," keeping a clean record was crucial.

"For him to take the position of a company commander was like putting his life under a microscope," Hilton said.

Hilton said today, when moving up the "corporate ladder," African-Americans are "in the forefront, but still a lot of
the times find themselves alone."

Washington, who enlisted in the Army in March 1914, spent more than 28 years as an enlisted soldier before becoming a commissioned officer. His daughter, Mary Harris, who lives in California, said her father's determination and perfectionism always were evident.

"He knew he had to try three times harder as a black man," she said. "He was very dedicated to his country, even after
retirement."

Harris said her father always knew he wanted a career in the military, and said his dedication to his career was his way of getting away from a segregated environment.

Washington's son, Allan, who also lives in California, said his father knew a military career "probably was the best opportunity for advancement in society" at the time.

As far as being a role model for his children, Harris and Mary agreed their father paved their way, even leading his son to pursue a 20-year Air force career.

Washington advanced to master sergeant in the Ordnance Department, then was promoted to captain in May 1942. Two years later he retired after a 30-year Army career, receiving high praise in a letter from Col. James W. Mosteller Jr., commanding officer of Daniel Field, Ga.

"During this entire period your record was without a blemish, and such a period of enlisted service without one instance of company punishment is unusual and exceptional," Mosteller said in the letter.

Sfc. Shelton Torbert, equal opportunity advisor at APG, said spending 30 years in the military and advancing as Washington did was rare.

"He survived a lot of cuts," he explained. "Fewer than 10 percent of African-Americans were still around after the war. That was a big accomplishment."

Torbert said it was rare that African-American soldiers remained in the military due to the "3 R's Syndrome — Reject, Recruit, Reject."

Harris said behind his military sternness and determination, her father was a "gentle man."

"He was strict, but was always fair," she said. "He was a very gentle and understanding person."

After completing his basic and technical training, Washington was assigned to Fort Douglas, Ariz. In 1916, he then served in the Philippine Islands until 1922, when he returned to the United States to become post ordnance sergeant of harbor defense at the Columbia River, late serving in the same position for The Presidio in San Francisco.

Washington returned to the Philippine Islands in 1931, and returned to San Francisco in 1933. He was later transferred to Savannah, Ill., as a sergeant major.

In May 1942, Washington was discharged from the Army as an enlisted man, and accepted his commission as a captain. Before arriving at APG, he served his first commanding officer position at Fort Sill, Okla.

Washington became a military training instructor at APG shortly after 7,000 acres were added to the installation to accommodate testing facilities during World War II. According to APG's web site, Washington was one of 27,185 military personnel who helped meet the increase of the war's large workload. He left APG, and military service, in August 1944.

"Upon your relief from active duty I desire to commend you for your long and efficient service, and the excellent record that you have earned," said Mosteller in his letter. "On behalf of the Army may I extend to you its appreciation for the excellent service that you have rendered and wish to you happiness and success."

After his departure from the Army, Washington, originally from Pendleton, S.C., returned to California to his family, where he took up farming until his death in 1952. Harris said her father spent his time "beautifully landscaping" a home and farm for his family.

According to Retracing the Middle Passage, a web site produced by the National Rites of Passage Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, it was not until the end of the 1950-1953 Korean Conflict that President Truman's orders took action and Americans of all races fought side-by-side. A year after the war came to an end the Civil Rights Movement began.