Please click here to view a student eulogy for Allen at Fort Sill National Cemetery in 2025: https://youtu.be/_E9re7CCIFE.

Biography

Early Life
Sir Mack Henry Allen, Jr. was born on July 3, 1928, to Alfonzo and Virginia Bell Allen in Louise, Mississippi. He had one brother, James. According to the 1930 census, his parents were tenant farmers who grew cotton. Mack attended school in Mississippi, but it is unknown if he graduated. 

By the age of 17, he was living in East St. Louis, Illinois, where he completed his World War II draft registration on March 17, 1945. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on January 18, 1946.

Homefront
Sir Mack Allen Jr. was raised around Louise, Mississippi. Mississippi was primarily an agricultural state before the Korean War. Cotton, corn, sorghum, wheat, soybeans, cowpeas, and peanuts were the primary crops grown. 

World War II significantly impacted the economy of Mississippi, primarily due to the surge in military industry, camps, and bases necessary for the war effort. Small businesses suffered during wartime due to a shortage of raw materials. At the beginning of World War II, farm workers either entered the military or took on other employment, often in industrial areas. 

In 1942, the War Manpower Commission (WMC) determined that Mississippi had a labor surplus. The WMC funded some farm workers to take temporary wartime jobs between the planting and harvesting seasons. Landowners, who were primarily White, were afraid that the WMC would create a shortage of labor as well as upset the social order. Even though landowners' fears were never realized, many farm workers left to serve in the military or take higher-paying industrial jobs. The rural farm population in Mississippi fell by 19% in the 1950s while the urban population increased by 38%. 

Mississippi also experienced an increase in industry as a result of wartime efforts. Ingalls Shipbuilding was very productive during World War II. It received a contract with the United States Maritime Commission for four cargo ships. During the construction of these ships in 1941, the U.S. Navy requisitioned them. The company also completed the HMS Battler, the first British combat ship built in the United States. By June 1945, Ingalls had constructed over 70 ships.

Across Mississippi, 36 military installations brought over a million men and women to the state. The largest installations were at Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg and Keesler Air Field in Biloxi. The influx of people, especially people of color, heightened racial tensions. The most serious incident was at Camp Van Dorn when African American soldiers of the 364th Infantry Regiment were transferred there in 1942. 

Shortly after their arrival, citizens and local police from nearby Centerville confronted them. Private William Walker from the 364th Infantry Regiment was killed by a local sheriff, leading to violence. Some regiment members were reassigned to other units, and the 364th Infantry Regiment was transferred to the Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska.

Before the Korean War, Mississippi was still the center of racial segregation and tensions due to Jim Crow laws that were intent on marginalizing people of color. In Mississippi, interracial marriage was a felony, schools were segregated, and state executives were required to prevent the implementation of school desegregation. The governor of Mississippi could also close any school if he determined the closure was in the best interest of the majority of children. The governor was also allowed to close parks to prevent desegregation. Companies were legally authorized to choose their clientele and had the right to refuse service. These laws intentionally denied people of color the right to vote, get and hold jobs, and receive an education. Anyone who defied these laws was arrested and faced fines, jail sentences, violence, and even death.

Military Experience
Sir Mack Allen Jr. enlisted in the U.S. Army on January 18, 1946. He served for two years and was deployed to Germany. He was assigned to the 4th Replacement Depot after completing his first tour. He then reenlisted in the Army, serving until 1967, and eventually reached the rank of sergeant. 

In his second tour, Allen served in the 24th Infantry Regiment, a segregated unit that was part of the 25th Infantry Division. The 24th Infantry Regiment was disbanded in Korea in October 1951 due to poor leadership due to poor leadership, poor combat performance, and racist attitudes about the capacity of Black soldiers to serve in combat, but Allen chose to stay in Korea and volunteered for duty with the rangers. 

By the spring of 1952, Allen was a Second Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne) member. This elite, all-African American company deployed to Korea in December 1950. This unit would parachute behind enemy lines and destroy installations, ammunition, disrupt communications, and pave the way for full-scale assaults by regular ground troops. Allen was injured twice during his service in Korea. 

Allen served in the occupation force in Europe after World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War before retiring in 1967.

Veteran Experience
Sir Mack Allen married Suzue Suzuki on October 24, 1951, likely while he was stationed in Japan. Together, they had seven children: Thomas, Peter, Robert, Raleigh, Sir Alexander “Chew”, and Virginia. 

Upon retiring from the Army in 1967, he held several jobs, including a stint at Rainbow Photo Company, where he developed his passion for photography. He also served as a full-time scoutmaster for Troop 161 in Lawton, Oklahoma. 

He later opened Al's Corner, which specialized in selling wheel covers and hubcaps, until health issues forced him into retirement in 1994.

Commemoration
Sir Mack Henry Allen Jr. died on May 12, 2009. He is buried at Fort Sill National Cemetery in Elgin, Oklahoma. 

Suzue survived her husband and continued to care for their youngest daughter, Virginia, who had a disability. Suzue died on September 2, 2021, at the age of 95. Her daughter, Virginia, died a few days later, on September 10, 2021, at age 65. Both Suzue and Virginia were buried with Mack at Fort Sill National Cemetery.

Bibliography
Primary Sources

“Births.” Stars and Stripes Newspaper, Pacific Edition, 1945-1963. April 28, 1955. http://ancestryclasroom.com.

Line up of some of women welders including the women’s welding champion of Ingalls [Shipbuilding Corp., Pascagoula, MS]. Photograph. 1943. National Archives and Records Administration (NAID 522890). https://catalog.archives.gov/id/522890. 

Mack Henry Allen. World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947. Digital Images. https://ancestryclassroom.com. 

Margolies, John. Al’s Corner, Lawton, Oklahoma. Photograph. 1982. Library of Congress (2017710033). https://www.loc.gov/item/2017710033. 

“Meet A Brave Soldier Who Thrives on Danger.” The Afro-American [Baltimore, MD] January 5, 1952. Newspapers.com (1135076696). 

Mississippi. Tunica County. 1930 U.S. Census. Digital images. http://ancestryclasroom.com.

Mississippi. Leflore County. 1940 U.S. Census. Digital images. http://ancestryclasroom.com.

Sir Mack H. Allen, Final Pay Voucher, Department of the Army. National Archives and Records Administration - St. Louis.

"Suzue Suzui Allen." The Lawton Constitution [Lawton, OK], September 9, 2021. https://www.swoknews.com/obituaries/suzue-suzuki-allen/article_8a518014-aeaf-5742-a5a6-ff667499d2de.html. 

Wolcott, Marion Post. Negro going in colored entrance of movie house on Saturday afternoon, Belzoni, Mississippi Delta, Mississippi. Photograph. October 1939. Library of Congress (2017754826). https://www.loc.gov/item/2017754826/. 

Secondary Sources

“187th Infantry Regiment.” The Army Historical Foundation. Accessed March 31, 2025. https://armyhistory.org/187th-infantry-regiment/. 

Farrell, Sean. “Not Just Farms Anymore: The Effects of World War II on Mississippi’s Economy.” Mississippi History Now, September 2001. https://mshistorynow.mdah.ms.gov/issue/the-effects-of-world-war-II-on-mississippis-economy.

“Sir Mack H. Allen Jr.” Veterans Legacy Memorial, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Accessed April 22, 2025. https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/SIRMACKALLENJR/F33542A. 

“SSGT Sir Mack H. Allen Jr.” Find a Grave. Last modified May 17, 2009. Accessed November 13, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/37183302/sir_mack_h_allen.

“Suzue Suzuki Allen.” Find a Grave. Accessed November 13, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/231874109/suzue_allen. 

“Virginia Elizabeth Allen (1956-2021).” Find a Grave. Accessed November 13, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/232107075/virginia_elizabeth_allen.

This profile was researched by Sydney Donner, Hayden Donner, Brooklyn Forester, and Sarah Ledesma, mentored by Blair Public Schools teacher Mrs. Heather McCormick, as part of a Veterans Legacy Grant Program led by National History Day in the 2024/2025 academic year.

This profile was funded by a grant from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The opinions, findings, and conclusions stated herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.


A young African American man in an Army uniform.

This census record indicates that Mack Allen (listed as “M. C.”) was 2 years old in 1930. His parents were tenant farmers. National Archives and Records Administration.

Newspaper article detailing Sir Mack Allen Jr.’s service. The Call, January 4, 1952. 

A newspaper article about Allen's dangerous service.

Graphic that accompanied the article. It includes a sketch by the article’s author with superimposed photographs of Mack, as well as his wife and son. The Call, January 4, 1952. 

A sketch of paratroopers jumping into combat.

Sir Mack H. Allen’s wife, Suzue Suzuki Allen. Find a Grave.

A young Japanese woman in a white blouse and dress.

Al’s Corner, a store that Sir Mack Allen opened after retiring from the Army in 1982. Library of Congress (2017710033).

A store with racks of hubcaps on display outside.

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