ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

More than a century after they fought in World War I, the Army’s famed “Harlem Hellfighters” will receive the Congressional Gold Medal. 

The “Harlem Hellfighters Congressional Gold Medal Act” was signed into law Aug. 25 by President Joe Biden after the legislation was passed by the Senate and the House. The act acknowledges the soldiers’ “bravery and outstanding service during World War I,” according to Congress.gov. 

The Museum of American War Letters brings home the stories of American service members across all of the nation’s wars through its curated digital exhibit. 

The exhibit features letters and short documentaries and was curated from over 175,000 letters, Andrew Carroll, director of the Center for American War Letters at Chapman University, said in an interview with WWNY 7 News. The featured letters give visitors unique insight into what service members experienced and endured on the ground during periods of conflict. 

Support is growing to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the first and only all-female, all-Black American battalion to deploy overseas during World War II.

Bills pending in the Senate and House call for honoring the women of the battalion, commonly known as the Six Triple Eight, for their pioneering service, devotion to duty and contributions to increase the morale of service members serving in the European theater during World War II.

African American soldiers have been trailblazers for equality since the Revolutionary War, and Black leaders from the past remain examples for troops today, a senior Army leader said.

“During the past year, the United States has faced significant social equality challenges. I believe now, we are at an inflection point,” where it is important to remember how diversity made and continues to make the Army the greatest one on Earth, said Lt. Gen. Jason Evans, the Army’s deputy chief of staff for installations, or G-9.

A new memorial honoring the legacy of West Point’s Buffalo Soldiers will be revealed next year as planners aim to have it completed in September 2021.

A monument featuring a trooper mounted on horseback will replace the U.S. Military Academy’s “memorial rock,” which was dedicated in 1973 to honor the Black Horse Cavalry Detachments, including the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments, that served at West Point from 1907 to 1947. 

Retired Lt. Gen. Daniel Bolger has been recognized by the Army Historical Foundation with a Distinguished Article Award for his article in ARMY magazine on how African Americans fought racism in the Army and the Nazis in World War II.

There are many people who say service in the military changed their lives, but few have a story like retired Maj. Gen. Linda Singh.

Singh, who was raised as one of 14 children in a four-room house in rural Maryland, became homeless as a teenager after being sexually assaulted. She was a high school dropout when she stumbled upon an Army recruiter.

Trailblazing 78-year-old retired Brig. Gen. Clara L. Adams-Ender offered valuable advice about having military mentors, overcoming career obstacles, being respected as an officer and having fun in the U.S. Army that was home for 34 years.