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African American soldiers commended after the race riot at the Shenango Personnel Replacement Depot, July 1943.
Credit: Courtesy of Camp Reynolds and ACW Productions
On July 11, 1943, simmering racial tensions exploded into deadly violence at the Shenango Depot in an exchange of gunfire that left one African-American soldier dead and seven others wounded. After the subsequent investigation, six black soldiers received commendations for staying at their posts during the confrontation. Deeply concerned about racial incidents at army depots around the country, the Army renamed the depot renamed Camp Reynolds/Shenango Personnel Replace Depot in honor of Pennsylvania General John F. Reynolds, who was killed at the Battle of Gettysburg on July 1, 1863.