Background
Their Epic but Tragic Story.
The 369th. The Men of Bronze. The Black Rattlers. The Harlem Hellfighters. The most harassed regiment in the US military. Yet, the most decorated US regiment in WW1.
Who exactly were they? They were a New York National Guard regiment with a twist; it was an all black, segregated unit who were not allowed to fight alongside any white Americans. Basically, they were set up to fail.
When they were shipped out to war, they had to do many laborious and hard task for the army instead of doing what they signed up to do. Fight. The army was treating them like slaves.
Finally, they were allowed to fight,however, only for the French army. This was a huge break for them, but it was a greater insult. US General, Pershing, stated that no American troop would be given to the French or British to fill in ranks. This showed the Hellfighters that they were seen as not-American. Pershing also gave the French a warning along the lines of, don't treat them too well or else they'll get the notion that they're equal to White men. There were also pamphlets, Secret Information Concerning Black American Troops, that warned people that Blacks were an "inferior people" and have a "rapist tendency." These warnings the French ultimately ignored and they treated the regiment equally, providing thm a place to show the world what they were capable of.
Within less than six months, the regiment gained a fierce-some reputation. They were feared by the Axis and loved by the Allies (except the US).
They became the longest touring US regiment in WW1. This came at a cost, with the loss of half of their men, through injury or death. However, they boasted an extraordinary record in the field of battle, a legacy that is well respected and almost fairy-tale-like warfare statistics.
World War One, it was known for its trench warfare. Usually going back and fourth, gaining 100 feet of ground one day, but losing it the next. The Hellfighters never lost one foot of land or a trench to the enemy. That was unheard of in the Great War. They also never had one of their men captured. In short, every battle they fought, they won.
There's one battle that highlights how excellent of a fighting force they are. In the fight for Meuse, Argonne, the 369th sustained heavy casualties. They pushed hard through many heavily armed German trenches and did extremely well. At a certain point in the big battle the regiment realized they had pushed too far through the German defense. So far in fact, they were 9 miles ahead of their Allies on their right and left flanks. After the realization, they had to fallback and rejoin the Allies.
They also introduced the blues and jazz to Europe, making it a popular music genre during war times.
After the War their great accomplishments in Europe didn't earn them anymore respect in the US. Returning home, they suffered from the same racial harassment and inhumane treatment as they did before it. All their accomplishments in Europe went unnoticed and they didn't receive any credit. Even all the French and European medals rewarded to them were ignored. Soon after a while, the members of the 369th were back to their old poor jobs again, many of them not being able to work, too. A lot of them ended up absolutely broke, homeless, and starving on the streets.
Who exactly were they? They were a New York National Guard regiment with a twist; it was an all black, segregated unit who were not allowed to fight alongside any white Americans. Basically, they were set up to fail.
When they were shipped out to war, they had to do many laborious and hard task for the army instead of doing what they signed up to do. Fight. The army was treating them like slaves.
Finally, they were allowed to fight,however, only for the French army. This was a huge break for them, but it was a greater insult. US General, Pershing, stated that no American troop would be given to the French or British to fill in ranks. This showed the Hellfighters that they were seen as not-American. Pershing also gave the French a warning along the lines of, don't treat them too well or else they'll get the notion that they're equal to White men. There were also pamphlets, Secret Information Concerning Black American Troops, that warned people that Blacks were an "inferior people" and have a "rapist tendency." These warnings the French ultimately ignored and they treated the regiment equally, providing thm a place to show the world what they were capable of.
Within less than six months, the regiment gained a fierce-some reputation. They were feared by the Axis and loved by the Allies (except the US).
They became the longest touring US regiment in WW1. This came at a cost, with the loss of half of their men, through injury or death. However, they boasted an extraordinary record in the field of battle, a legacy that is well respected and almost fairy-tale-like warfare statistics.
World War One, it was known for its trench warfare. Usually going back and fourth, gaining 100 feet of ground one day, but losing it the next. The Hellfighters never lost one foot of land or a trench to the enemy. That was unheard of in the Great War. They also never had one of their men captured. In short, every battle they fought, they won.
There's one battle that highlights how excellent of a fighting force they are. In the fight for Meuse, Argonne, the 369th sustained heavy casualties. They pushed hard through many heavily armed German trenches and did extremely well. At a certain point in the big battle the regiment realized they had pushed too far through the German defense. So far in fact, they were 9 miles ahead of their Allies on their right and left flanks. After the realization, they had to fallback and rejoin the Allies.
They also introduced the blues and jazz to Europe, making it a popular music genre during war times.
After the War their great accomplishments in Europe didn't earn them anymore respect in the US. Returning home, they suffered from the same racial harassment and inhumane treatment as they did before it. All their accomplishments in Europe went unnoticed and they didn't receive any credit. Even all the French and European medals rewarded to them were ignored. Soon after a while, the members of the 369th were back to their old poor jobs again, many of them not being able to work, too. A lot of them ended up absolutely broke, homeless, and starving on the streets.