NCO Club

The NCO Club was a segregated recreational facility for white non-commissioned officers at the Derry Army Air Corps Base in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Its existence and the exclusion of black soldiers from Company E from using it directly led to the creation of the Black Spot, a makeshift club for the black enlisted men. The NCO Club's role in enforcing racial segregation on the base was a key factor in the social tensions that culminated in the 1930 fire at the Black Spot, a mass-casualty event that ended a cycle of violence in Derry.

Location and Purpose

The NCO Club was situated on the hill where Derry Community College now stands, directly behind the Post Exchange (PX). It was a large Quonset hut that had been fixed up with carpet, booths along the walls, and a jukebox. On weekends, bands would play there. While Prohibition was in effect, stronger drinks were available to those with a "little green star" on their army card, a secret sign. The club was strictly for white personnel; black soldiers from Company E were not allowed anywhere near it. This exclusion forced the black enlisted men to seek recreation in the bars of Derry's Hell's Half-Acre district, which led to complaints from the Town Council and ultimately to Major Fuller's decision to give Company E their own club, the Black Spot.

Segregation and the Creation of the Black Spot

The NCO Club's policy of racial exclusion was a direct catalyst for the creation of the Black Spot. When the Town Council complained about black soldiers frequenting downtown bars, Major Fuller, unwilling to integrate the NCO Club, instead gave Company E an old requisition shed. The men of Company E, led by Pfc. Dick Hallorann, transformed this shed into their own club, which they named the Black Spot. The NCO Club, in response to the Black Spot's growing popularity, was expanded with a special lounge and a small cafeteria, as if in competition. However, the black soldiers understood that if they appeared to be getting ahead, they would be stopped.

The Black Spot's Success and the NCO Club's Decline

The Black Spot's success, fueled by a popular Dixieland jazz band, began to draw white civilians and even some white soldiers from the base. This influx of white patrons, many from the wealthy West Broadway area, brought with them high-quality liquor, which was far superior to the rotgut available at the NCO Club. The NCO Club, once the premier social venue for white soldiers, was effectively outshone by the Black Spot. This shift in social dynamics, where white civilians and soldiers chose to patronize a black club over the segregated NCO Club, infuriated the town's old-line families and the local chapter of the Maine Legion of White Decency, setting the stage for the violent attack on the Black Spot.

The Fire at the Black Spot and Aftermath

The NCO Club's existence as a symbol of segregation was a direct cause of the fire that destroyed the Black Spot. On a Saturday night in November 1930, members of the Maine Legion of White Decency, angered by the Black Spot's popularity, attacked the club. They threw torches through the windows, setting the building ablaze. The fire killed over sixty people, including eighteen men from Company E. The NCO Club, as the institution that had enforced the racial divide, was the indirect cause of this tragedy. The fire effectively ended the cycle of violence in Derry for that period, serving as a monstrous sacrifice that quieted the town's underlying evil. The NCO Club itself, while not destroyed, was rendered irrelevant by the catastrophe, and the army soon dispersed the remaining members of Company E.