One hundred years ago this month, President Woodrow Wilson was preparing for the culmination of his two-term presidency. While he had entered office with high expectations of reforming government and improving economic opportunities for citizens, the United States’ entrance into the Great War remains the most recognizable action of his presidency.
After years of proclaiming United States neutrality in the European powder keg of entangling alliances, increasing militarism and competitive foreign policies, the nation was drawn into the horror of trench warfare with Wilson’s request for a declaration of war on April 4, 1917, acknowledging that the conflict in Europe had become “a war against all nations.” A military expansion was necessary and, when the Great War began, the Marine Corps excluded all Blacks, the Navy limited their service duties to non-combat roles (cooks, stewards, etc.) and the Army, which had fielded Black units for decades, remained segregated.
Despite this history, many Black men, including residents of Hamilton County and surrounding areas, responded to the call to duty, envisioning military service as a way to elevate their citizenship and broaden social equality. While total local service numbers are difficult to ascertain, more than 370,000 Blacks would serve in the Great War as a part of the American Expeditionary Force of more than 1 million.
As a nation, we have always held in the highest esteem those members of our military who have served and sacrificed in the fight for liberty, equality and justice.
During Black History Month, it is appropriate, and somewhat ironic, to recall the 32 local Black soldiers who died in service during the Great War, fighting for rights and privileges that often eluded them at home. The roster notes those who died in training and combat along with those who succumbed to the influenza epidemic and its accompanying pneumonia.