1941

After the United States entered into World War II in 1941, Mississippi had more than a million women and men stationed at 36 segregated military bases. From 1940 to 1946, Camp Shelby inducted, trained, or demobilized more than 750,000 American personnel, many of whom came from outside of the South and were unfamiliar with Jim Crow customs. 

Pictured: A black and white photograph of Japanese American soldiers at Camp Shelby. In the center, a group of men wearing dark uniforms stand at attention. On the right, three soldiers wearing light uniforms and helmets pass by the group. The second man is carrying an American flag.

Credit: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division LC-USZ62-127108