Black GI writer at Casper Army Air Base in World War II

Published February 27, 2025 at 11:24 AM MST

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Lieut. Atlee D. Washington (right) in an April 1944 Washington AFRO newspaper clipping announcing his assignment to the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama.

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A barracks inspection at the Tuskegee Army Air Base in Alabama during World War II likely depicting Lieut. Atlee D. Washington as the inspecting officer at center. The photo has been widely used, including at the Tuskegee National Historic Site, but does not list the identities of those pictured. Multiple relatives of Washington, including those who knew him during his service at Tuskegee, have attested to his identity with near certainty. From the HQ AETC/HO, Randolph Air Force Base photo collection.

The Casper Air Army base played an outsized role in the city during World War II, but did you know it also was a significant part of its Black history?

A recently unearthed newspaper column chronicled the Black GIs stationed there, and its discovery shocked the son of its author, who had no idea of his father’s history there. Robin Washington of our sister network Wisconsin Public Radio tells the story.

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