HOUSTON – July 28 is Buffalo Soldiers Day, according to NationalToday.com, and if you’re not a history buff, allow us to explain why this fearless regime is worth being celebrated.
The Buffalo Soldiers are celebrated widely across the Houston area as historians continue to share the unjust stories of the all Black cavalry as they fought for the United States.
According to Houston’s Buffalo Soldiers Museums website, the cavalry was comprised of “fighting men [who] represented the first Black professional soldiers in a peacetime army. The recruits came from varied backgrounds including former slaves and veterans from service in the Civil War.”
The conflict these soldiers participated in were the American Civil War, the Spanish American War, the Philippine Insurrection, the Mexican Expedition, World War I and II, and the Korean Police Action.
Information provided by historians at the museum suggests that some members of the 9th Cavalry were placed on field duty from 1867 to 1890 in west Texas. Those men were tasked with protecting travelers and forts throughout south and west Texas.
The group is believed to have got its name from the Native Americans who viewed their “prowess, bravery, tenaciousness, and looks on the battlefield’ as that of a Buffalo.” Additionally, the name “symbolized the Native American’s respect for the Buffalo Soldiers’ bravery and valor.”
If want to learn more, check out the Buffalo Soldiers Museum located at 3816 Caroline Street in Houston, TX 77004.