Kitzingen, Germany, Jan. 13, 1948: Lt. Gen. Clarence R. Huebner (center) inspects the honor guard commanded by 1/Lt. Roscoe Cartwright at the Kitzingen Basic Training Center for Negro troops. The deputy EUCOM commander toured the extensive former air base with 20 generals and staff officers.

At the time of Huebner’s visit, the U.S. Armed Forces were still segregated. President Harry Truman’s executive order 9981 abolishing discrimination in the armed services “on the basis of race, color, religion or national origin,” which led to the end of segregation in the services, was issued July 26, 1948.

During his visit, Lt. Gen. Huebner noted: “There are 14,000,000 Negroes in the U.S.,” Huebner stated. “If the Nation is to utilize this manpower in the Army, we must develop its leadership potential.”

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