A MESSAGE FROM THE SECRETARY In 1976, the Nation designated February as Black History Month, and since 1986, it has set aside the third Monday in January to honor the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The American giant, who led the American Civil Rights Movement, and our remembrance of the contributions of all African-Americans remain inextricably linked in this important observance of national heritage. Not long before his assassination, Dr. King paused to reflect on his own mortality. “I don’t want a long funeral,” he said, “and if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long.” Then, asking himself what he wanted others to say about him at his funeral, he said, “I’d like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others.” Since the birth of the Nation, African-Americans of every generation have given their lives in service to her. In 1781, a German officer at Yorktown estimated that African-Americans made up one quarter of the American Army. Nearly 179,000 fought for the Union in the Civil War, and after the war, the Army organized four permanent African-American regiments: the 9th and 10th Cavalry, and the 24th and 25th Infantry. These were the famous “Buffalo Soldiers,” who fought the Indian Wars, brought an end to the so-called Johnson County War of 1892, and later patrolled the Nation’s new national parks as some of our first “park rangers.” African-Americans saw combat service in the Spanish-American War, the Philippine Insurrection, and the Mexican Expedition of 1916. They made up the 92nd and 93rd Divisions during World War I, participating in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive and the Second Battle of the Marne. The 92nd, again, deployed to Europe during World War II, and in April 1945, two regimental combat teams—one of African-Americans (the 370th) and one of Japanese-Americans (the 442nd)—joined forces to clear the Ligurian coast of determined enemy forces. African-Americans also manned three out of every four vehicles in the famed “Red Ball Express,” which funneled desperately needed fuel and munitions to Allied armies advancing through northern Europe. Without them, the Allied offensive would have stalled. And so today, as we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King, let us also honor the African-American Veterans who risked, and often sacrificed, their lives in service to this great Nation. Remember their selflessness as we rededicate ourselves to Dr. King’s devotion of “serving others.” -Eric K. Shinseki
Posted on: Fri, 17 Jan 2014 20:26:04 +0000
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