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The World War II service of two lifelong Wilmington friends led them on similar paths from the Normandy beaches to final victory along Germany’s Elbe River. Daniel David Cameron and Chris Eugene Fonvielle graduated together from New Hanover High School in 1938 and Virginia Military Institute (roommates) in 1942, both age 21. Cameron trained at Camp Davis near Wilmington and landed over Omaha Beach on June 8, 1944. A three-year captain, he commanded automatic weapons Battery B of the 430th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion which protected field artillery. “We were always exposed, but did not take too many casualties.” He campaigned with the 5th Corps through St. Lo and Normandy, France; Holland; the Bulge in Belgium; and the German Siegfried Line, Roer River and Rhine River. For the final spring 1945 drive to the Elbe to link with Soviet forces, he served in the 19th Corps. ....
Numerous factors impacted the Wilmington area’s Black communities on the World War II home front, underscored by racial segregation. Wilmington’s recent designation as America’s first World War II Heritage City was based on wartime contributions and history preservation. During WWII our area, like the south, practiced institutional segregation. Race relations were matter-of-fact and good or bad, depending on viewpoints and restrictions. Life proceeded for both whites and Blacks, separately mostly, together when necessary. Race divided the public but remarkably hardly affected our successful war effort role. Black citizens, while enduring discrimination, maintained positive morale, patriotically worked for national victory, and yearned for racial victory - the “Double V campaign.” ....