WWI Era

Aileen Cole was an African American nurse during World War I. She was one of eighteen Black nurses accepted into the Army Nurse Corps. Cole was stationed at Camp Sherman in Chillicothe, Ohio on December 1, 1918. Though she arrived after the Armistice, she and other nurses helped troops infected with the Spanish Flu and those wounded overseas.

Throughout his life, Charles Young overcame countless obstacles in his ascent to prominence. In spite of overt racism and stifling inequality, Young rose through the military ranks to become one of the most respected leaders of his time. From leading men in combat on foreign soil to leading men domestically in our country's national parks, Young led by example and inspired a generation of new leaders. He was posthumously promoted to Brigadier General on November 1, 2021.

Long before the internet, instagram or twitter, letter writing was the most effective way of communicating with friends and family in the early 21st century. Read the final letter home from Charles Young to his wife, Ada, and get a glimpse into the storied life of one of the most renowned Buffalo Soldiers.

Charles Young was medically retired from the army in 1917. He felt he was still able to lead troops in World War One. He rode his horse from Wilberforce, OH to Washington, DC to prove to the Army brass he was fit for duty. At the end of World War One he served as commander of Camp Grant, IL, an all-Black training facility, never seeing the battlefields of Europe.

Cleveland Leigh Abbott was born in South Dakota in December 1894. He served as a lieutenant in the segregated all-Black 366th Infantry Regiment during World War 1. He later taught and coached football and track and field at Tuskegee Institute. He died in 1955 in Tuskegee, Alabama.

Freddie Stowers was born in South Carolina in 1896. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1917 and was assigned to the all-Black 371st Infantry Regiment. He was killed in action on September 28, 1918. He was the first African American to be awarded a Medal of Honor for actions during World War I, which he received posthumously on April 24, 1991. He is buried at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial in France.

Jonathan N. Rucker was born in Natchez, Mississippi in 1892. He graduated from medical school in 1916. He served in France with the 317th Motor Supply Train during World War One. After being honorably discharged he worked as an educator, doctor, minister, and civil rights activist in Gallatin, TN and Natchez, MS. He died on February 8, 1970 and was buried at the Gallatin Cemetery.

Learn about the contributions of Storer College students and alumni in World War I. Storer College was founded in 1867 and was the first institution of higher learning for African Americans in West Virginia. Over 100 students and alumni of the school enlisted and contributed to the United States' efforts during the Great War.

After years of fighting at home and abroad for a country that held mixed feelings for them, many expected the Buffalo Soldiers to be deployed to France in 1917 to help fight in WWI. However, the regular Army regiments of the Buffalo Soldiers would be found nowhere near France during WWI. Find out about the "other" Buffalo Soldiers who would take their place with the American Expeditionary Forces in France. Some would even train at Ohio's WWI Soldier Factory, Camp Sherman.

The 369th Infantry Regiment was the most famous all-Black regiment of World War I. There are many photos of the 369th Infantry, but few have captions naming the men. Learn about the nine men of the 369th in this iconic World War I photo.