Black Military History

Military Times honors African Americans who served in the U.S. military and shares their untold stories.

Black soldiers honored by name at Civil War battlefield

Flags were placed at the graves of 13 Black soldiers killed in an 1864 massacre at Ross Landing, Arkansas, buried as unknowns but recently identified.

8 weeks ago

101-year-old vet receives medal for being one of the 1st Black Marines

George J. Johnson was part of the group of the first Black men allowed to enlist in the Marine Corps.

15 months ago

The Medal of Honor is seen around the neck of Medal of Honor recipient Army Staff Sgt. David Bellavia outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, June 25, 2019.

Veterans

Black Vietnam-era Army officer to receive Medal of Honor

The honor will go to retired Army Col. Paris Davis nearly 60 years after Davis distinguished himself during the Vietnam War.

Black Union soldiers fought a costly battle for equal pay

The strategy of paying black troops less than their white counterparts pleased no one.

6 years ago

Marine Corps veteran reflects on anniversary of military desegregation

2018 marks the 70th anniversary of President Harry Truman's directive to end racial segregation in the armed services.

6 years ago

1st Rhode Island Regiment: First African-American military regiment

Known as the "Black Regiment," the 1st Rhode Island Regiment had several companies of African American soldiers its ranks

6 years ago

This ex-slave pretended to be a man and served in the Army

Cathay Williams was the only documented female buffalo soldier. From 1866 to 1868, an uneducated, illiterate former slave managed to deceive her fellow soldiers, officers and post medical personnel.

6 years ago

‘General Tubman’: Female abolitionist was also a secret military weapon

Harriet Tubman helped plan a South Carolina river raid that freed hundreds of slaves.

6 years ago

The many missions and accolades of the Tuskegee Airmen

A group of World War II pilots — known as the Tuskegee Airmen — were the first African American pilots in the military.

6 years ago

Interview: First black Army secretary on desegregation, the draft, and discrimination

Clifford Alexander Jr. was nominated by President Carter to lead the Army as it shaped itself into a post-Vietnam, all-volunteer force.

6 years ago

William H. Carney: The first black soldier to earn the Medal of Honor

From slave to sergeant, a Civil War hero's story.

6 years ago

Here's one of the people to thank for your GPS

Gladys West was putting together a short bio about herself for a sorority function that recognized senior members of the group. She noted her 42-year career at the Navy base at Dahlgren and devoted one short-and-sweet line to the fact she was part of the team that developed the Global Positioning System in the 1950s and 1960s.

6 years ago

How the Tuskegee Airmen helped break the Army's racial barrier

A group of World War II pilots were the first to break the U.S. Army’s racial barrier, leading to the eventual desegregation of the military.

6 years ago