The 2nd Cavalry Division was unique the U.S. Army in World II in that it was composed of Black and White troops as early as 1941, at a time when the rest of the Army was racially segregated. The 2nd Cavalry Division was activated in April 1941 at Camp Funston, Kansas. In the early 1940s, the Army wanted to increase manpower and developed the Protective Mobilization Plan. The plan was to ensure troop readiness in possible future theatres of operations. The Division had an authorized strength of 11,676 men.
The 2nd Cavalry Division was composed of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, 14thCavalry Regiment, 4th Cavalry Brigade, and two Black units, the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments, who were Buffalo Soldiers. About 30 percent of the Division was made up of Black soldiers. Up until that point, the 9th and 10th Cavalry had distinguished combat records having served in the late 19th Century Indian Wars, the Spanish-American War in 1891, the Philippine Insurrection, 1898-1902, and the Mexican Punitive Expedition in 1916.
Brigadier General Terry de la Mesa Allen Sr. assumed command of the Division in 1941. The Division prepared for war in staged maneuvers in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. The Chief of Cavalry, Major General John K. Herr, commented that the 1st and 2nd Cavalry Divisions performed well during these exercises. In 1940, General Herr initially believed that combining black and white soldiers was “an unwise proposition.” Despite his changing attitude toward Black soldiers, Army segregation policies banned Black officers from using the Officer Club on base and all Black soldiers had to use the segregated movie theatre.
On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor. The Division sent a brigade to Arizona to prepare for a Japanese land invasion. With the limited use and last days of the utilization of mounted cavalry, the U.S Army began to put more focus on developing Tank Warfare. White soldiers of the 2nd Cavalry Division were reorganized into the 9th Armored Division to bolster its ranks. On July 15, 1942, the Division was inactivated.
The 9th Cavalry moved to Fort Clark, Texas and the 10th Cavalry moved to Camp Lockett, California.
As the war efforts ramped up, Blacks joining the army increased. In November 1942, the War Department decided to reactivate the 2nd Cavalry Division as a mounted, all-Black Division. On February 25, 1943, the Division was officially reactivated under Major General Harry H. Johnson. The Division’s headquarters would be at Fort Clark. The Cavalry would spend the rest of 1943 training its soldiers. Recruits at Fort Clark would go through basic training as well as cavalry operations.
In February 1944, the 2nd Cavalry Division deployed to North Africa. The Division did not participate in combat operations. Instead, it constructed airfields for the Tuskegee Airmen deployed in the North African theatre. The unit also engaged in supply and garrison duties. On May 10, 1944, the 2nd Cavalry Division was officially inactivated.