DIGGING FOR DIGNITY: Honoring the Pioneer Infantry Buried at the Historic New Trinity Cemetery in Haltom City, Texas.

DIGGING FOR DIGNITY: Honoring the Pioneer Infantry Buried at the Historic New Trinity Cemetery in Haltom City, Texas

HALTOM CITY, TEXAS - October 11, 2025 - When you drive into the historic New Trinity Cemetery in Haltom City and make your way toward the back, you’ll find a quiet row of headstones. Weathered by time and Texas rain, these stones carry names that once belonged to men who crossed an ocean to fight for a country that did not yet fight for them.

Upon closer look, and through the careful research of the American Legion Post 655, a powerful truth emerged: some of these soldiers were part of the Pioneer Infantry — African American regiments from World War I who built, carried, dug, and endured so that others could advance.

These were the men who dug trenches in France by day and prayed for dignity by night. They swung their shovels not just against the hardened ground, but against the hardened hearts of segregation and injustice.

Digging for Dignity

They called them “pioneers,” but they were more than that. They were builders of roads, lifelines, and hope.

While white soldiers often fought on the front lines, Black soldiers in the Pioneer Infantry were sent to dig the trenches, lay the wire, repair the railroads, and bury the dead. Their labor was constant, dangerous, and vital. Without them, the front lines would have fallen silent.

But even in their assigned labor, these men turned duty into dignity. They understood that what they built mattered, and they built it well. With every road paved and every bridge raised, they laid down a foundation for future generations — a testament that no amount of prejudice could bury their worth.

Their Work and Their Worth

The Pioneer Infantry was the beating heart behind the battle.

• Support and Labor: They built roads through the mud, dug trenches for protection, and cleared the fields of debris and destruction.

• Combat Engineering: When called upon, they took up rifles, repaired bridges under fire, and cleared barbed wire so the infantry could advance.

• Logistics and Supply: They carried ammunition, moved supplies, and salvaged what could be saved from the chaos of war.

These men were soldiers and servants of liberty, doing what needed to be done when others refused to see their humanity.

A Segregated Sacrifice

The U.S. Army was deeply segregated during World War I. Nearly 80 percent of Black soldiers were assigned to labor and support units like the Pioneer Infantry. They received limited training, often substandard equipment, and little recognition.

Some were sent into battle zones without gas mask training. Others were ordered to serve meals and dig graves rather than carry rifles. Yet, in the trenches of France, they proved something that history could not deny: they were brave, they were skilled, and they were essential.

Theirs was a faith forged in the mud — faith that one day, America would see them not as laborers, but as men.

Impact and Legacy

Without the Pioneer Infantry, the war would have faltered. Their sweat and strength carried the weight of the Allied advance. Military historians now agree that their contribution was not only vital but heroic.

When these soldiers returned home, they came back with a new fire burning within them. They had worn the uniform. They had served under the same flag. They had earned their place. And though segregation greeted them upon their return, they began to dig again — this time for justice.

From the soil of war grew the seeds of the Civil Rights Movement. These veterans taught a nation that true freedom is not given; it’s dug out of the dirt, one act of courage at a time.

The Sacred Soil of New Trinity

Here in Haltom City, these same hands now rest beneath the sacred soil of New Trinity Cemetery, established in 1886.

For generations, Reverend L.D. Adams has served as the guardian of these grounds, ensuring that the memory of these heroes never fades. Alongside Mr. Edward Briscoe and the dedicated members of American Legion Post 655, they have carried the sacred torch of remembrance for more than forty years.

Each Memorial Day, each Veterans Day, and each quiet morning of reflection, the cemetery becomes more than a burial ground — it becomes a classroom of courage, a chapel of honor, and a living museum of Black military history.

As America Turns 250

As America prepares to celebrate its Semiquincentennial — 250 years of independence, we pause to remember those who dug for the promise of freedom even when they did not fully possess it.

The men of the Pioneer Infantry buried at New Trinity dug ditches in France, but they also dug the foundations of dignity here at home. Their labor was love. Their service was faith in action. Their rest is a reminder that the struggle for freedom is not over — it is inherited.

So when you walk among their graves, remember: they were more than soldiers. They were pioneers of perseverance, architects of honor, and builders of a better America.

Long live the living legacy of the New Trinity Cemetery — where the brave rest, and their dignity rises.