Harlem Hellfighters
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Harlem_Hell_Fighters.jpg
Harlem Hellfighters is the popular name for the 369th Infantry Regiment, formerly the 15th New York National Guard Regiment. The unit was also known as The Black Rattlers, in addition to several other nicknames.
One of the first units in the United States armed forces to have African American officers in addition to its all-black enlisted corps, the 369th fought in World War I as part of the 93rd Infantry Division (Colored), whose regiments were seconded to the French Army. The unit stayed in the trenches for 191 days, the longest front-line service of any American regiment.
The 369th compiled an astounding war record, earning several unit citations along with many individual decorations for valor from the French government. But when they returned home to the United States, they were subjected to the racism of the era, and did not receive the respect warranted by their service in World War I.
During the war the 369th's regimental band (under the direction of James Reese Europe) became famous throughout Europe, being the first to introduce the until-then unknown music called jazz to British, French and other audiences, and starting a world-wide demand for it.
The filker Michael Longcor is the author of the song "The Ballad of Esau's Sons", which describes the 369th's exploits during World War I without explicitly naming the unit.
Notable soldiers of the 369th
- Sgt. Henry Johnson, winner of the Croix de Guerre
- Spotswood Poles, referred to as "the black Ty Cobb" for his prowess in the Negro leagues in the early 1900s
External links
- New York State Military Museum (http://www.dmna.state.ny.us/historic/reghist/wwi/infantry/369thInf/369thInfMain.htm)
- Arlington National Cemetery (http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/historical_information/black_history.html)
- RedHotJazz.com article on the Hellfighter's Band (http://www.redhotjazz.com/hellfighters.html)