HONOR RISING FROM THE HAY. Malachi 3:17: Recognizing Veteran Hays Huntsman and the Ammo Wagoners of World War I. Memorial Day Weekend • May 16, 2026 • 9:00 a.m. New Trinity Cemetery • Haltom City, Texas. Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr.

HONOR RISING FROM THE HAY. Malachi 3:17

Recognizing Veteran Hays Huntsman and the Ammo Wagoners of World War I of 1917-1919.

Memorial Day Weekend • May 16, 2026 • 9:00 a.m.

New Trinity Cemetery • Haltom City, Texas

By Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr.

Publisher, Black Texans Inc.

“And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels.”

— Malachi 3:17

Hays Huntsman, Wagoner, 317th Ammo, 92nd Division, World War I November 15, 1888 – December 27, 1950

Buried at New Trinity Cemetery, Haltom City, Texas

Where the Prairie Whispers

On a quiet stretch of consecrated ground in Haltom City — where prairie wind bends low across weathered headstones — rests a soldier whose name history did not headline.

His name is Hays Huntsman.

No monument rises above him.

No film narrates his valor.

No textbook dedicates a chapter to his sacrifice.

Yet beneath Texas soil lies a man who answered his country’s call when the world stood at war.

We do not gather because fame preserved him.

We gather because service dignified him.

And this Memorial Day weekend, honor will rise from the hay.

The Buffalo Soldiers Division: Courage Under Command

The 92nd Infantry Division was one of only two all-Black divisions to fight for the United States Army in World War I.

Organized in October 1917 at Camp Funston, Kansas, it included infantry, artillery, engineer, signal, medical, and supply elements — structured as a fully independent combat division.

In 1918, the 92nd deployed to France and fought under American command in the historic Meuse-Argonne Offensive, one of the largest and most decisive campaigns of the war.

They trained in segregated camps.

They served under predominantly white senior officers.

They endured doubt and discrimination.

Yet they fought.

Yet they advanced.

Yet they proved themselves under fire.

The 317th Ammo Wagoners: Guardians of Firepower

Hays Huntsman served among the 317th Ammo Wagoners, a critical element supporting combat operations within the 92nd Division.

These were not ordinary drivers.

They were entrusted with transporting live artillery shells, rifle cartridges, and explosive ordnance from rear depots to forward artillery batteries and infantry units.

Theirs was a sacred and dangerous assignment.

Ammunition wagoners were required to possess detailed knowledge of:

• Adjusting harnesses and managing mule teams

• Receiving, stowing, and securing explosive cargo

• The nomenclature of wagons, harness parts, spare equipment, and accessories

• Grooming, watering, feeding, and handling animals under stress

• Cleaning and maintaining wagons and gear

• Harnessing and unharnessing teams efficiently

• Hitching and unhitching animals quickly in combat conditions

• Lashing loads securely to prevent catastrophic shifting

• Repairing vehicles in the field when damage occurred

• Maintaining calm control in chaos

If artillery batteries ran out of shells, offensives stalled.

If ammunition failed to reach the line, infantry units stood exposed.

The 317th Ammo Wagoners did not simply transport supplies.

They transported controlled fire.

They carried the power of artillery on wooden wheels through mud, smoke, and exploding terrain.

One overturned wagon could mean disaster.

One misjudged turn could ignite catastrophe.

And still — they drove forward.

That was Hays Huntsman’s duty.

That was his contribution to victory.

A Name Worth Speaking

Very little documentation survives about Hays Huntsman of Fort Worth.

But silence does not erase significance.

We know he served in the 317th Ammo Wagoners.

We know he carried artillery shells toward the front lines.

We know he returned home to Texas.

We know he now rests among more than 500 Black veterans buried at New Trinity Cemetery.

And that is enough to command remembrance.

Because sometimes history is written in archives.

And sometimes it lies beneath sacred ground, waiting for a community willing to speak it back to life.

The Sacred Ground Built by Mrs. Frances Fretwell

New Trinity Cemetery exists because of a Black woman’s resolve.

When Rev. Greene Fretwell died in 1886, there was no designated burial ground for Black citizens in that region of Tarrant County.

It was Mrs. Frances Fretwell who raised the funds to secure land in 1889 at 28th and Beach Street for Trinity Chapel Methodist Church and its burial ground.

Before there was sacred ground, there was her sacrifice.

Before there was remembrance, there was her resistance.

From exclusion rose consecration.

From grief rose legacy.

Today, that sacred soil holds the remains of more than 500 Black veterans — including Hays Huntsman of the 317th Ammo Wagoners.

A Coalition of Conscience

On Saturday, May 16, 2026 at 9:00 a.m., we will gather:

• New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church of Fort Worth

• Ministers Justice Coalition of Texas

• Texas Buffalo Soldiers Association

• Warriors Remembrance and Research Foundation

• American Legion Post 655

• Travis Manion Foundation

We will clean graves.

We will read names.

We will place tokens of remembrance.

We will honor a man who carried ammunition so others could advance.

Scripture and Sacred Memory

“And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels.”

— Malachi 3:17

Hays Huntsman was a jewel in uniform.

The 317th Ammo Wagoners were jewels under pressure.

Not celebrated in headlines.

Not etched in marble.

But precious in the sight of God.

Heaven kept record.

Now earth must respond.

Let Honor Rise

This Memorial Day, we do more than commemorate.

We restore names.

We redeem memory.

We reclaim narrative.

We allow honor to rise from the hay.

Because no soldier entrusted with carrying firepower into battle

should carry the burden of obscurity.

And no wagoner of the 317th

should remain hidden beneath Texas grass.

On May 16, 2026 — we remember.

And in remembering — we rise.

About the Author

Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr. is the Senior Pastor of New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, and Publisher of Black Texans Inc. A graduate of the University of North Texas School of Community Service, Pastor Tatum blends faith, history, and community activism to preserve overlooked legacies across Black Texas.

Through the Digging for Dignity Project, he is leading a national crusade to identify, document, restore, and publicly recognize military veterans buried without proper honor at New Trinity Cemetery and other historic Black burial grounds. The initiative mobilizes volunteers, partners with veteran organizations, researches service records, and advocates for historical markers to ensure that no hero remains forgotten.

Beyond military remembrance, Pastor Tatum has championed preservation efforts honoring Buffalo Soldiers, Negro League baseball legends, and other underrepresented chapters of Black Texan history. His work seeks not merely to remember the past, but to protect, preserve, and promote a legacy that strengthens future generations.

For Pastor Tatum, this mission is not about nostalgia.

It is about dignity.

And dignity, once uncovered, must never be buried again.

Contact:

817-966-7625

kptatum1@gmail.com

www.newmountrose.com