At first, they were created to perform menial laborious tasks for the military.
At the time, there was a prejudice that Black people would not do well in battle. This notion was mainly from the USA. They first had the 369th on board to load ships, build train tracks, and clean up.
Even back at the US before being deployed, working to maintain mechanisms, weapons and training equipment was their primary job. Back then, the regiment was called the 15th New York National Guard Regiment and it got no time in battle, just training the soldiers in the US. It wasn't until President Woodrow Wilson issued "all hands on deck" that the division was considered being put into action.
The army decided that black soldiers would not be combat troops. Once the 369th arrived in France, they were put to work supplying other regiments who were actually fighting. They were called "laborers in uniforms." Their jobs were important, but they kept getting harassed by combat troops, which is ironic because the laborers were essential for their survival. In the summer of 1918 the regiment was busy doing laborious tasks to supply the two hundred fifty thousand new soldiers coming through the bug camp each month. They were even assigned to build major dams and other big things for the military's benefit.
James Europe was a conductor who directed an army band. They got out of the break-back work by hosting concerts for the public and for the military.
Finally, the regiment caught a break because the French needed more troops.
After the war, since the Hellfighters became famous, the Americans hated them more. They gave them the worst clean up jobs after the war. Their jobs were to comb through the battlefield and find any missing body parts, full limbs, and dead bodies blown to bits from artillery fire. Then, they had to move them to a new burial sight to give them proper graves.
Even back at the US before being deployed, working to maintain mechanisms, weapons and training equipment was their primary job. Back then, the regiment was called the 15th New York National Guard Regiment and it got no time in battle, just training the soldiers in the US. It wasn't until President Woodrow Wilson issued "all hands on deck" that the division was considered being put into action.
The army decided that black soldiers would not be combat troops. Once the 369th arrived in France, they were put to work supplying other regiments who were actually fighting. They were called "laborers in uniforms." Their jobs were important, but they kept getting harassed by combat troops, which is ironic because the laborers were essential for their survival. In the summer of 1918 the regiment was busy doing laborious tasks to supply the two hundred fifty thousand new soldiers coming through the bug camp each month. They were even assigned to build major dams and other big things for the military's benefit.
James Europe was a conductor who directed an army band. They got out of the break-back work by hosting concerts for the public and for the military.
Finally, the regiment caught a break because the French needed more troops.
After the war, since the Hellfighters became famous, the Americans hated them more. They gave them the worst clean up jobs after the war. Their jobs were to comb through the battlefield and find any missing body parts, full limbs, and dead bodies blown to bits from artillery fire. Then, they had to move them to a new burial sight to give them proper graves.