The Untold Story of the Buffalo Soldiers

A Veterans Day Tribute

By Cecil Egbele | California Local News Fellow

The reggae beats from Bob Marley’s “Buffalo Soldier” still echo across decades. When he sang about a soldier “stolen from Africa, brought to America,” he immortalized a chapter of American military history that too often remains in the shadows, the story of the Buffalo Soldiers, the nation’s first peacetime African American military regiments.

This Veterans Day, as we honor those who served, it’s essential to remember these pioneering warriors who helped shape the American West while fighting for a country that denied them basic civil rights. Their contributions are an essential part of our history.

Buffalo Soldiers: The Genesis and A Name Born of Respect

The nickname “Buffalo Soldiers” is said to have been given to Black soldiers by Native American tribes. Some accounts suggest that it referred to the soldiers’ brave and fierce fighting spirit, which resembled that of the buffalo, while others claim it stemmed from their physical characteristics. Whatever its origin, the name came to symbolize respect and admiration. 

What began in 1866 as six regiments was soon consolidated into four: the 9th and 10th Cavalry and the 24th and 25th Infantry. These units would come to be known collectively as the “Buffalo Soldiers.” These units were comprised of formerly enslaved people, freemen, and Black Civil War soldiers; these were the first African Americans to serve during peacetime.

The Congressional Act of July 28, 1866, authorizing the formation of the Buffalo Soldiers. (U.S. Government Printing Office

Many enlisted with the promise of full citizenship under the 14th Amendment. But despite their service, sacrifice, and achievements, these African American soldiers were systematically denied equal rights, particularly in the Reconstruction-era South. They fought for a nation that refused to recognize them as full citizens, a bitter irony that would define their service for generations to come.

Fighting Against All Odds

Although Buffalo Soldiers comprised 12% of the U.S. Army infantry force and 20% of the cavalry force in this era, they were awarded 18 of the 417 medals presented during the /Indian Wars. This is less than 5% of recipients. Yet their combat record was exemplary. Sergeant Emanuel Stance became the first Black Medal of Honor recipient in 1870. The statistics tell a sobering story of both service and systemic racism. 

According to the National Park Service, they often received inferior horses, supplies, and equipment. President George H.W. Bush acknowledged in his 1992 Buffalo Soldiers Day proclamation, saying, “Although they often received the worst food and equipment and labored without the respect and recognition that were their due, the Buffalo Soldiers served.” 

Despite being noted for their courage and discipline, they faced constant prejudice. Retired Col. Frank Knox of the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, better known as the “Rough Riders,” during the Spanish-American War, famously declared of the Buffalo Soldiers: “I never saw braver men anywhere.”

Builders of the West

The Buffalo Soldiers’ duties extended far beyond combat. They performed routine garrison chores, patrolled the frontier, built roads and other infrastructure, escorted settlers and cattle herders, protected mail service, built telegraph lines, and patrolled frontiers.

Guardians of California’s Natural Treasures

Perhaps their most remarkable and least-known contribution came in California’s Sierra Nevada. Eight troops of the 9th Cavalry Regiment and one company of the 24th Infantry Regiment served in California’s Sierra Nevada as some of the first national park rangers.

Until 1916, Yosemite was a California state park, protected by Buffalo Soldiers from the 9th Cavalry and 25th Infantry. They safeguarded the area from poachers, squatters, fires, loggers, and other threats.

At Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks, members of the 9th Cavalry and 24th Infantry contributed to combating the poaching of wildlife, guarding against theft of natural resources, constructing roads, and marking trails.

One soldier stands above all others in the California story: Captain Charles Young. Young was the third African American to graduate from the United States Military Academy (West Point) and served with Troop I, 9th Cavalry Regiment in Sequoia National Park during the summer of 1903. Young became the first Black superintendent of a National Park. In 1903, 9th Cavalrymen in Sequoia built the first trail to the top of Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the contiguous United States.  

Following a recommendation from Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Young was posthumously promoted to general by President Joseph Biden in 2021, a recognition that came nearly a century too late. 

A Buffalo Soldier, 25th Infantry Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, The William Gladstone Collection of African American Photographs, LC-DIG-ppmsca-11346

A Legacy in Song and Screen

The Buffalo Soldiers’ legacy is celebrated in works like Bob Marley’s song “Buffalo Soldier,” where Marley connects their struggle to a broader symbol of Black resistance and survival.

Spike Lee’s 2008 film “Miracle at St. Anna” tells the story of four African American soldiers from the 92nd Infantry Division, known as the Buffalo Soldiers, during World War II’s Italian Campaign in Tuscany, Italy.

The Legacy Lives On in Kern County

Today, the spirit of the Buffalo Soldiers endures in Southern California through dedicated community organizations that keep their memory alive.

In a church service commemorating the 2025 Veterans Day, Lieutenant General Dee Slade, of the Buffalo Soldiers Fort Bakersfield Command, recounts some of their often-forgotten role in rebuilding America.

“The Buffalo Soldiers played a key role in rebuilding the West and parts of the South, particularly during fires. They were the first firefighters in some towns that had never seen Black soldiers before, and remarkably, they did not lose a single person or soldier. The U.S. Congress then commissioned them to Alaska and the Yukon, where conditions were severe. Again, they managed to keep both townspeople and their own soldiers safe during conflicts,” Slade said.

An End and a New Beginning

President Harry Truman issued an executive order to end racial segregation in the military, and by the mid-1950s, the remaining all-black units were officially disbanded. The last of the Buffalo Soldiers, Mark Matthews, passed away in 2005 at the age of 111.

This Veterans Day, as we reflect on service and sacrifice, the Buffalo Soldiers remind us that patriotism often means fighting not just for what your country is, but for what it could become. They served with distinction in the face of discrimination, built infrastructure that still serves us today, and protected natural wonders that millions now enjoy.

Their story mirrors America’s story, complicated, painful, but ultimately one of perseverance, courage, and an unwavering commitment to building a better future. We honor them not just on Veterans Day, but every time we visit a national park, travel a road they built, or benefit from the nation they helped construct, which gives them the recognition and thanks they deserve.

The Buffalo Soldiers didn’t just serve their country. They transformed it, guarding its borders, building its infrastructure, protecting its treasures, all while fighting for the right to be called Americans.

If you have a story idea, a tip, a scoop, or simply something you feel isn’t being talked about enough, I want to hear from you. Reach me directly at cecil.egbele@ognsc.com. Together, we can make sure that Bakersfield’s Black community is not only seen but heard.

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