There are a lot of myths ‘running around’ when it comes to blacks and the military.
One is that there were no black soldiers on the front lines in World War I or World War II, that blacks were ‘behind the real fighting,’ and only doing noncombatant duties like being truck drivers.
Not true. The 369th Infantry Regiment, known as the Harlem Hellfighters, was involved in front line combat in World War I.
It spent 191 days in front line trenches and suffered the most losses of any Allied combat unit – and was the first unit to cross the Rine.
And, of course, they were never honored for their service.
Wrong!
There was a parade in their honor in New York on February 17, 1919.