Buffalo Soldiers of East Texas: Honoring 80 Years of Overlooked Heroism.
By Black Texans, Inc.
TYLER, TEXAS - In the pine-covered hills and red soil of East Texas, a long-ignored chapter of American history is preparing to break into the national consciousness.
Eighty years after Black soldiers from Smith County and surrounding East Texas communities answered the call to serve in World War II, their descendants, neighbors, and supporters are gathering to honor them — not just as local heroes, but as part of a powerful national legacy of Black military valor that shaped the course of the 20th century.
This coming Saturday, November 8, 2025, at the historic Evergreen Cemetery in Tyler, Texas, a Veterans Day tribute will lift up 1,127 Black servicemen and four pioneering Black women from the region who fought two battles:
one against fascism overseas,
and one against racism at home.
They stand among the proud ranks of the legendary 24th Infantry Regiment, the groundbreaking 477th Bombardment Group of the Tuskegee Airmen, and the extraordinary 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion — units whose bravery and sacrifice shook the foundations of both the U.S. military and the segregated nation they served.
This is not just East Texas history.
This is American history.
And it’s long past time we honor it.
Unsung Legends of WWII
Across the country, much has been written about the so-called “Greatest Generation,” but Black veterans have often been pushed to the margins of the story.
In East Texas, Black men and women put on the uniform with full knowledge that their own country treated them as second-class citizens. Yet they fought — with valor, with skill, and with a determination that would change the nation.
Among them were soldiers of the 24th Infantry Regiment, one of the fabled Buffalo Soldier units, who fought courageously across the Pacific Theater, earning respect despite the harsh glare of segregation.
There were airmen in the 477th Bombardment Group, part of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, who risked court-martial during the historic Freeman Field Mutiny by standing up against a segregated officers’ club, laying the groundwork for desegregating the U.S. Armed Forces.
And there were the extraordinary women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion — the only all-Black, all-female battalion deployed overseas during WWII — who tackled a critical mail backlog across Europe, keeping soldiers connected to home and boosting wartime morale, all while shattering racial and gender barriers.
In East Texas, four of these trailblazing women stand tall in memory: Ruth G. Barnes, Edna Hunter, Corine A. Nolan, and Maggielean Williams, now honored as the Black Roses of East Texas — symbols of courage, endurance, and dignity.
A National Call to Remember
The November 8 tribute is not just a local ceremony; it’s a clarion call for national recognition.
“This is about resurrecting an overlooked legacy that belongs to the entire country,” says Pastor K.P. Tatum, Sr., president of the Ministers Justice Coalition of Texas and lead organizer of the event. “These Black soldiers and Black Roses fought for freedoms they were denied at home — their stories shaped the military, the civil rights movement, and the freedoms we all share today. It’s time America stands up and says: We see you. We honor you. We remember you.”
The event will feature military salutes, historical presentations, participation by the modern-day Buffalo Soldiers, and a powerful act of public remembrance — connecting past, present, and future.
Their Legacy Shaped the Nation
The contributions of Black WWII veterans rippled far beyond the battlefields.
Their return home sparked demands for civil rights and equality, their military service helped dismantle segregation in the armed forces, and their determination laid the groundwork for generational change.
And yet, even as the nation increasingly reckons with its racial history, the names and sacrifices of these Black veterans too often remain in the shadows.
“This is about correcting the record,” says Pastor Tatum. “It’s about teaching today’s young people that they stand on the shoulders of giants — giants whose courage, sacrifice, and determination reshaped this country.”
A National Invitation
Black Texans, Inc. and its partners hope this tribute will inspire a nationwide movement.
They are calling on local communities, national leaders, veterans’ groups, historians, and everyday Americans to help amplify the stories of Black WWII servicemembers — to visit their graves, document their histories, restore their headstones, and ensure they are celebrated in the places of honor they have long deserved.
For details or to get involved in the November 8 tribute, contact:
Pastor K.P. Tatum, Sr.
📞 817-966-7625
📧 kptatum1@gmail.com
Eighty Years Later, They Rise
As America wrestles with the unfinished work of memory, justice, and reconciliation, the Immortal Black Roses and Soldiers of East Texas stand as powerful reminders:
We fought. We endured. We rose.
Now, eighty years later, it is time for the nation to rise with them.
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