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"Give em Hell!"
The all-Black regiment were WWI heroesBy Radhika Chalasani and Indira BabicAugust 25, 2021, 12:46 PM• 15 min read1:50 Congressman wants to award Congressional Gold Medal to ‘Harlem Hellfighters’Tom Suozzi of New York announced he's introducing a bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal...New York -- The 369th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed the Harlem Hellfighters, were the first African American regiment to serve with the American Expeditionary Force in World War I. Their accomplishments and heroism stood in stark contrast to the racism and discrimination they faced on the home front. Their story has largely been overlooked in mainstream U.S. history.Now, 103 years after the regiment's service in World War I, it will receive Congress' highest award, the Congressional Gold Medal. The House and Senate voted unanimously to honor the Hellfighters. President Joe Biden signed HR 3642, the “Harlem Hellfighters Congressional Gold Medal Act,” into law on Aug. 25, 2021.Library of CongressAfrican American men recruited for the 15th New York National Guard Regiment, later known as...In 1916, New York Gov. Charles Whitman formed the 15th New York (Colored) National Guard Regiment, which became the 369th Infantry Regiment after the U.S. entered World War I. The majority of the men were from Harlem -- in their ranks were hotel porters, mailmen and doormen. The men were the first Black soldiers in New York's National Guard.The governor appointed his former campaign manager William Hayward, a white lawyer, as commander of the unit. The officers Col. Hayward appointed were mostly white due to the politics and prejudices of the time. However, among his Black recruits was James Reese Europe tapped to lead the regimental marching band. Reese joined the regiment as a lieutenant and convinced many established Black musicians to sign up.When the regiment was deployed to Brest, France, the band, led by Lt. Europe, played a jazz rendition of "La Marseillaise" upon arrival on the docks to the surprise of their French audience.Adoc-Photos/Getty ImagesThe 369th Infantry Regiment performs during an Independence Day concert directed by conducto...In October 1917 the unit was ordered to Camp Wadsworth in Spartansburg, South Carolina. The men faced harassment and abuse from the local population. Col. Hayward, worried about possible violence and tragedy, asked that they be relocated or deployed to France.Prior to their deployment to Europe, they were denied permission to take part in the farewell parade for the Army's 42nd Division, known as the "Rainbow Division." Hayward was told "Black is not a color of the rainbow." It was a sign of the lack of acceptance, prejudice and discrimination Blacks faced in the military and the country at large. African Americans were considered inferior and not up for serving as soldiers. Their patriotism, intelligence and courage were questioned.Continued at the link above