Black History Month
scout for the 3rd U.S. Colored Cavalry Regiment. He escaped slavery with his wife. He was an expert horseman who quickly became proficient in all other military skills. As a civilian, he scouted deep into Confederate territory. He was captured twice, but managed to escape using strength and deception. The information that Wood collected resulted in several local victories for the Union. In addition, when his unit was surrounded at Ft. Pillow, he was able to work his way through enemy lines and bring help.
The Buffalo Soldiers of the old West made up the 9th and 10th Cavalry regiments; and the 24th and 25th Infantry regiments. (The 24th and 25th were consolidated from four regiments.) These units conducted the same type operations in the West that white units did. The 9th Cav alone had nineteen Medals of Honor awarded through 1890. All four regiments went to Cuba and the 10th assaulted Kettle Hill with Roosevelt's 'Rough Riders'; although this fact was later played down by Teddy.
In the late 1800's, the U.S. government was seen in Alaska only in the form of the Alaska Patrol. The cutter 'Bear' of the Revenue Cutter Service (later the Coast Guard) was captained from 1883 by Michael Healy. He and his crew were responsible for enforcing U.S. laws and providing support to the natives; whether medical, dental, legal or otherwise. During one particularly hard year, Captain Healy organized the importation of several thousand reindeer from Siberia, and the descendants of those herds are in Alaska today. The new Healy class icebreaker is named after him.
During WW II, the world wide effort caused the military to become more dependent on black troops. The Army formed the 92nd and 93rd Infantry Divisions, four independent Infantry regiments, and a number of Tank, Tank destroyer, chemical mortar and Artillery battalions. In addition thousands of volunteers were formed into provisional Infantry companies and platoons to augment depleted units. The Air Corps formed several Black squadrons, the Navy had a Destroyer Escort and a Patrol Craft manned by Blacks, and even the Marine Corps finally commissioned its first officer in 1945.
The USS Mason was commissioned in 1941 with a black crew. In spite of obstacles from the Germans AND the Navy Department, the ship's record was unblemished. She conducted convoy operations in the Atlantic for the duration of the war.
Benjamin O. Davis was the first commanding officer of the 99th fighter squadron, the
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