igh ters . ▁Fort ▁Des ▁Mo ines ▁Pro vis ional ▁Army ▁Officer ▁Training ▁School ▁had ▁been ▁opened ▁for ▁training ▁African - American ▁men ▁as ▁there ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁huge ▁infl ux ▁of ▁African - American ▁volunte ers ▁and ▁a ▁pet ition ▁was ▁ere cted ▁by ▁the ▁students ▁of ▁Howard ▁University . ▁ ▁However , ▁there ▁was ▁still ▁some ▁dis content ▁at ▁the ▁facility ▁as ▁many ▁soldiers ▁found ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁unf air ly ▁ass essed ▁for ▁merely ▁being ▁black . ▁ ▁Bo oh er ▁volunte ered ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁and ▁was ▁ranked ▁First ▁Lieutenant ▁in ▁the ▁Army ▁Reserve ▁Medical ▁Corps . ▁ ▁He ▁reported ▁to ▁Des ▁Mo ines , ▁Iowa ▁for ▁training ▁and ▁when ▁completed ▁Bo oh er ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁the ▁ 9 2 nd ▁Div isions ▁ 3 1 7 th ▁San it ary ▁Train ▁at ▁Camp ▁F unst on , ▁Kansas . ▁ ▁However , ▁soon ▁after ▁beginning ▁his ▁work ▁in ▁F unst on , ▁Lieutenant ▁Bo oh er ▁was ▁honor ably ▁dis charg ed ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 1 7 . ▁ ▁He ▁had ▁been ▁de emed ▁phys ically ▁un fit ▁for ▁duty ▁and ▁never ▁sa iled ▁with ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁his ▁unit ▁to ▁France . ▁ ▁Career ▁Bo oh er ▁returned ▁to ▁his ▁family ▁in ▁Oxford , ▁North ▁Carolina , ▁ ▁and ▁res umed ▁work ▁on ▁his ▁medical ▁practice . ▁ ▁During ▁this ▁period ▁William ▁Bo oh er ▁had ▁renamed ▁his ▁family ▁as ▁' Book er ' ▁and ▁was ▁from ▁then ▁on ▁referred ▁to