150th anniversary of Buffalo soldiers marked in Houston

1,500 gather in Houston for celebration

HOUSTON – Thursday marked the 150th anniversary of the Buffalo Soldiers -- six all African-American Army units.

Made up of former slaves and black Civil War veterans, they were the first black soldiers to serve in a peacetime Army.

“The soldiers started in 1866 and go all through World War II, so they have participated in every military campaign in the U.S.,” said Capt. Paul Matthews, of the Buffalo Soldier National Museum.

About 1,500 troopers from across the nation gathered in Houston for a week-long celebration. They worked to honor the Buffalo Soldiers' legacy and keep it alive.

“A great historian said, 'If a race has no history, if it has no worth-while tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thoughts of the world and stands in danger of being exterminated' and we're not going to let that happen," said Matthews.

On Saturday morning, 150 horses are expected to ride more than a mile from Emancipation Park to the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum.


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