During World War II, a member of the Ninth Cavalry trained West Point cadets in military horsemanship.
The passing of Reverend Robert W. Dixon Sr., the final known survivor of the Buffalo Soldiers, the U.S. Army’s all-Black regiments, occurred on November 15 in the vicinity of Albany, New York at the age of 103. His spouse, Georgia Dixon, confirmed that he passed away at a rehabilitation facility. Mr. Dixon served as a corporal in World War II and was stationed at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where members of the Ninth Cavalry Regiment, comprised of African Americans, instructed cadets in horseback riding and mounted tactics.
Originating after the Civil War, the Army’s all-Black cavalry and infantry regiments earned the moniker “Buffalo Soldiers” from Native Americans they encountered during the nation’s Western expansion. The name likely stemmed from the soldiers’ curly black hair or the ferocity exhibited by buffaloes in battle. Regardless, the soldiers embraced this title. Due to prevailing racial tensions, these troops were restricted to serving west of the Mississippi River, as most white Southerners were unwilling to accept armed Black soldiers in their communities. They participated in the Indian Wars and safeguarded settlers heading West. In the Spanish-American War, the skilled horsemen of the 10th Cavalry paved the way for Colonel Theodore Roosevelt’s inexperienced Roughriders during the conflict in Cuba.
In the 20th century, institutional racism within the Army marginalized the contributions of Buffalo Soldier regiments in major conflicts during both world wars. However, some troops did engage in combat during World War II, notably during the Italian invasion and in the Pacific theater.
Source: The NY Times
