Fight Like Forty-Two. 2 Timothy 2:3–4

Fight Like Forty-Two. 2 Timothy 2:3–4 | By Pastor Kyev Tatum

From Jesus’ Righteousness to Jackie Robinson, from Fort Hood to Fort Worth

We remember. We restore. We rise.

National Buffalo Soldiers Day | Monday, July 28, 2025 | Fort Worth, Texas

A Sacred Honor at New Trinity Cemetery. A cemetery founded by formerly enslaved Christians.

FORT WORTH, TEXAS — On this National Buffalo Soldiers Day, the soil at New Trinity Cemetery did more than hold the past—it resurrected it. Beneath the sweltering Texas sun, I took a knee alone—but not in spirit—as prayers rose in solemn remembrance of the unsung warriors of America’s segregated military chapters:

• The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion,

• The 369th Infantry Regiment — Harlem Hellfighters,

• The 761st Tank Battalion — Original Black Panthers,

• The 477th Bombardment Group,

• The 24th Infantry Regiment, and

• The Buffalo Soldiers, our nation’s original uniformed defenders from 1866 to 1948.

At the heart of this sacred remembrance stood Technician Fifth Grade Florence Marie Cole Rawls, a daughter of Fort Worth and faithful member of the 6888th — the only all-Black and Latina, all-female battalion to serve overseas in WWII.

Once identified as a “nursemaid,” her legacy now rises as a beacon of dignity, discipline, and divine purpose. Yellow roses and a porcelain angel marked her resting place as we lifted a solo prayer — not just for her, but for all the brave souls buried beneath this sacred ground.

A Cemetery Once of Chains, Now a Sanctuary of Soldiers

Founded in 1889, New Trinity Cemetery was born from the defiant faith of formerly enslaved believers. After Rev. Greene Fretwell was denied burial in segregated cemeteries, his widow and the trustees of Trinity Chapel Methodist Church purchased two acres in Haltom City, sanctifying it as sacred ground for their community.

In the face of rejection, they built.

In the face of racism, they resisted.

They turned grief into ground—and ground into glory.

What was once a resting place for the rejected has become a battlefield of blessed memory. Beneath humble tombstones lie veterans who fought for freedoms they were never fully granted. Their presence is scripture. Their sacrifice, psalm.

From Harlem to Hell, From Fort Worth to Forever

This was not a crowd nor media— it was a covenant, a sacred vow to remember:

• The 6888th, who cleared a six-month mail backlog in three months, delivering hope in an envelope across continents.

• The 369th, who endured 191 consecutive days of WWI combat only to return to Jim Crow’s cruelty.

• The 761st, who shattered German lines while confronting segregation in their own ranks.

• The 477th, Black airmen trained to fly but grounded by racism.

• The 24th Infantry Regiment, whose courageous but misunderstood stand during the 1917 Houston Mutiny led to executions and dishonorable discharges for standing against injustice. They eventually was given clemency and new headstones. 

• Robert McDaniels, one of Fort Worth’s own, who fought for liberty abroad but whose story remains untold at home.

These names are not footnotes — they are foundation stones.

They did not serve for headlines.

They served to rewrite history.

A Prophetic Prayer: Preserve. Proclaim. Promote.

At Florence Rawls’ grave, a prayer was lifted:

“We’re not here just to bury the dead — we are here to resurrect their honor. This is not just a cemetery — it is sacred scripture, and it must be preserved, protected, and proclaimed.”

From this prayer sprang the spirit of the Fight Like Forty-Two, inspired by Jackie Roosevelt Robinson, who wore #42 after serving in the 761st Tank Battalion and famously stood against military segregation at Fort Hood in 1944.

This movement is more than memory — it is a call for moral redemption, justice restored, and patriotism reimagined.

Hope in an Envelope. Faith in the Fire.

From the trenches of France to the streets of Fort Worth, these Black soldiers bore more than uniforms — they bore unseen burdens.

As creator of the Hung Before Dawn, Hope in an Envelope and the Fight Like Forty-Two Commemorations, I am proud to join the national effort to:

• Secure Congressional Gold Medals for all African American segregated military units from 1866–1948,

• Earn official Buffalo Soldier Burial Site status for New Trinity Cemetery,

• Inspire a new generation to adopt the New Trinity Cemetery, honor history, and walk in the courage, character, and conviction of those who fought like Forty-Two.

Will You Stand with Our Forgotten Soldiers?

Their letters went undelivered.

Their valor went unrecognized.

Their dignity went unacknowledged.

But their love for a country that did not love them back —

That must become our greatest sermon.

Let us not just remember —

Let us rise.

Let us not just mourn —

Let us move.

Let us not just weep —

Let us fight like Forty-Two.

For the 6888th.

For the Harlem Hellfighters.

For the 761st Tank Battalion.

For the 477th Bombardment Group.

For the 24th Infantry Regiment.

For Robert McDaniels.

For Jackie.

For Jesus.

For Justice.

To Support or Learn More:

Pastor Kyev Tatum

(817) 966-7625

kptatum1@gmail.com

“For I wrote to you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.”

— 2 Corinthians 2:4

Let their legacy be our unfinished letter — faithfully delivered, fiercely defended.

Fight Like Forty-Two

From Jesus Christ to Jackie Robinson, from Fort Hood to Fort Worth

We remember. We restore. We rise.