Photo By Jason Bortz | A member of the Kansas City Buffalo Soldiers Chapter describes a monument at Buffalo...... read more read more
FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. – Fort Leavenworth celebrated Buffalo Soldiers Day with a ceremony July 26 at the Frontier Conference Center here.
The ceremony paid tribute to the contributions and selfless service of the celebrated Buffalo Soldiers who helped protect the nation’s westward expansion by building roads, providing security to wagon trains, participating in significant military actions, and even serving as some of the first national park rangers.
Commanding General of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command Gen. Gary M. Brito was the distinguished guest speaker for the event.
“[The Buffalo Soldiers] left an indelible legacy that all Soldiers should strive to emulate including Soldiers like myself still serving in uniform,” said Gen. Brito.
On July 24, 1992, President George H. W. Bush proclaimed that July 28 will be known as Buffalo Soldiers Day. This date memorializes the action taken by Congress on July 28, 1866, to establish the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments, and the 38th, 39th, 40th and 41st Infantry Regiments. In his proclamation, President Bush said “Despite suffering the discrimination and the injustice that plagued all black Americans during the days of segregation, the members of the 9th and 10th Cavalry regiments served with pride and distinction.”
The 10th Calvary Regiment was stationed at Fort Leavenworth and was initially tasked with protecting the Pacific Railroad while it was being constructed and fought hundreds of Cheyenne Warriors during two separate battles near the Saline River in Kansas.
Many of the Soldiers assigned to these regiments were Civil War Veterans and former slaves. They played a pivotal role in the westward expansion of the United States. The history of how they earned their nickname “Buffalo Soldiers” is often debated, but a common theory is it came after the Cheyenne Warriors told tales of a new warrior fighting for the Americans that fought like a cornered buffalo.
“Buffalo Soldiers is about character, it is not about the characteristics,” said George Pettigrew, executive vice president, Kansas City Buffalo Soldiers Chapter, speaking on another theory that the Buffalo Soldiers were given the nickname because of their hair. “Focusing on the characteristics of these brave Soldiers, many fresh out of being a slave, denies the actions and character of these Soldiers beneath that hair.”
Following the ceremony, guided tours and discussions about the Buffalo Soldiers were offered at the Buffalo Soldier Monument on and the Frontier History Museum on Fort Leavenworth. The monument of a Calvary Soldier was dedicated in 1992 to honor the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments and was initiated by Army Gen. (retired) Colin Powell.
“I, along with a host of service members stand on the enormous shoulders of the Buffalo Soldiers,” said Gen. Brito. “The path that they paved, the history that they contributed too, opened opportunities for many Soldiers just like me. Our Army will continue to carry the mantel for many years to come.”
| Date Taken: | 07.26.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.26.2024 15:57 |
| Story ID: | 477139 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 29 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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