Sergeant Brent Wood, Medal of Honor Winner
Company B, 9th Cavalry Regiment
(International Museum of the Horse)

Non-Commisioned Officers of the 9th Cavalry Regiment, Fort Wingate, New Mexico
(International Museum of the Horse)

Troopers of the 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1894
Saint Mary's, Montana
(International Museum of the Horse)

Field Bivouac, Troopers of the 10th Cavalry Regiment
(International Museum of the Horse)

Soldiers of unidentified U.S.C.T. Regiment 1898
Camp Wikoff, Montauk Point, New York
(Center for Military History)

DRESS ON THE COLORS - by Keith Rocco

Following their part in the victory over the Spanish forces at Las Guasimas, the "Buffalo Soldiers" of the 10th Cavalry Regiment find themselves under heavy enemy fire near the base of an enemy position called Kettle Hill. Under the command of Colonel "Black Jack" Pershing, they will shortly move into the history books, charging up the slopes of that hill & taking the Spanish fortress ... alongside the more well known "Rough Riders". The gallant charge of the 10th cavalry will be one of the more significant factors in the ultimate defeat of the Spanish,Army & the "liberation" of Cuba.

The Great War, And World War II - Once More Into The Breach ... & Then Once Again The year 1917 brought America back into an international war, & once again her "Sable Warriors" were called upon ... albeit reluctantly. The segregated Armed Forces sent many a Black man & woman to wa ... but rarely in the combat role! They were still seen as support troops, considered fit only for driving trucks, digging ditches, & doing general support duties. However, there were several unit which did see combat, proved to be exceptions to the rule, & their stars shined very brightly. The 134th Artillery Regiment acted in direct support of A.E.F. operations, firing more than 300,000 rounds of heavy artillery ammunition against German positions in less than 3 months of combat. The 134th also has been creditd with firing the final artillery shell before the armistice, but this is still disputed, as there are numerous units that lay claim to said honor. Of greater note was the 369th Infantry Regiment, better known as the "Harlem Hellfighters". The 369th & 4 other all black regiments were detached from US service, & attached to, & equipped by the French Army. Fighting with the Frenh XIII Corps, the 369th showed the entire world that the Black soldier was equal to, if not better, than any soldier in the world! During the Meuse-Argonne offensive, the 369th Regiment was responsible for a major allied breakthrough of the German lines, capturing almost 3 times their own numbers in prisoners, & a significant number of heavily fortified German positions. These gallant actions resulted in the Regiment being awarded the Croix De Guerre With Palm, the highest award given by the French Military. A large number of the individual soldiers were also given awards by the French, & the entire brigade of 5 black infantry regiments won nothing but praise from our allies! With the Armistice on 11 November, the black veterans once again returned home into obscurity, sliding back into the ever dwindling ranks of the still segregated peacetime Army ... which was virtually erased from existance following the "War To End All Wars". Just 21 years later, on December7, 1941, the Ebony Sword was once again unsheathed ... & on that first day, in a most notable fashion!! Mess Steward Dorie Miller, serving aboard one of the battleships moored in Pearl Harbor, made his indelible mark on history. His gallant actions on that dark day earned him the Navy Cross, and unleashed a flood tide of black volunteers ... patriotic Americans, every one!! Many thousands f black men & women sprang to the call, & would serve in eery branch of the armed services, & serve well! However, the military was still segregated, & the black volunteers were sent to isolated camps around the nation, to seperate them from the white troops, & train them for this great conflict, Though still in most cases relegated to service & support roles, the Sable Warriors performed superbly, once again winning accolades from their comrades, One of the greatest successes was of course, the Tuskeegee Airmen! These gallant black eagles proved to the entire world that the black man could fly an airplane, & do it well!! The black fighter & bomber squadrons amassed combat records excelled by few other units ... even units that had been in combat more than twice as long. Another major success story was that of the "Red Ball Express", the mostly black transportation units that kept the allied juggernaut supplied!! These gallant truck drivers & other support troops labored mightily, foght hard & well when they had to, & were a major reason that the allied forces were successful!! An Army CANNOT move without supplies, & this mostly black command kept the supply lines open! NO MATTER WHAT the obstacle! Many black soldiers, marines, sailors, & airmen also fought in the Pacific theater, & along with their white comrades, finally brought the war to an end in 1945. It was sad that these these thousands of black veterans would come back to an America that would not even give them the time of day. Once again obscurity became the rule, as almost all of the black regiments were de-activated, & the armed forces stood down from another war. It virtually seemed a repeat of the end of the Civil War, as there was definitely no victory parade for these brave black warriors, so many of whom had made the ultimate sacrifice for their country!!1

Sergeant Henry Johnson, 369th Infantry Regiment
1918 Awarded the French Croix De Guerre, for single-handedly fighting off a German raiding party to rescue his comrade, Private Needham Roberts.
(Center For Military History)

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