DIGGING FOR DIGNITY UNDERNEATH THE TOGETHERNESS TREE: America Remembers National Buffalo Soldiers Day on July 28, 2026 at the People’s Memorial Park in Haltom City, Texas.
DIGGING FOR DIGNITY UNDERNEATH THE TOGETHERNESS TREE: America Remembers National Buffalo Soldiers Day on July 28, 2026 at the People’s Memorial Park in Haltom City, Texas.
Texas Buffalo Soldiers BBQ & Frontier Storytelling Festival
July 28, 2026 • 12:00 Noon
Historic Fretwell Cemetery–New Trinity Cemetery at People’s Memorial Park
Haltom City, Texas | CBS News: https://youtu.be/ilUnXZTwCww?is=VjT3ofeF2USwtIGv
Beneath the shade of an old pecan tree known as the Togetherness Tree, among the resting places of more than 7,700 Black pioneers and over 500 Black veterans, America will pause to remember.
On July 28, 2026, families, veterans, historians, clergy, educators, and community leaders will gather at Historic Fretwell Cemetery–New Trinity Cemetery at People’s Memorial Park to commemorate National Buffalo Soldiers Day, celebrate the 160th Anniversary of the Buffalo Soldiers, and honor America’s 250th Anniversary.
What appears to be a community barbecue and storytelling festival is, in truth, something far greater.
It is a reunion with history.
It is a celebration of service.
It is a commitment to remember those who helped build a nation while often receiving little recognition from it.
The story begins in 1866.
One year after the Civil War, Congress authorized the creation of the first all-Black peacetime regiments in the United States Army. These soldiers would become known as the Buffalo Soldiers—a name given by Native American tribes who recognized their courage, endurance, and fighting spirit (https://www.fox4news.com/news/historic-black-cemetery-haltom-city-restored-time-veterans-day).
Across the American frontier, Buffalo Soldiers built roads, protected settlements, mapped unknown territory, escorted wagon trains, strung telegraph lines, and defended the western frontier. Long before the National Park Service was established, Buffalo Soldiers protected the majestic landscapes of Yosemite and Sequoia, becoming some of America’s first park rangers.
Yet their service came at a tremendous cost.
They faced discrimination, segregation, unequal treatment, and the burden of proving their worth in a nation still wrestling with freedom’s promise. Nevertheless, they served with distinction, earning Medals of Honor, military citations, and the respect of generations who followed.
Their legacy did not end on the frontier.
It marched forward through every generation of Black military service.
That enduring legacy will be honored through a special tribute to Florence Marie Cole Rawls, a daughter of Tarrant County whose final resting place is within People’s Memorial Park.
Rawls served in the historic 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion—the “Six Triple Eight”—the only all-Black, all-female Women’s Army Corps unit deployed overseas during World War II (https://fortworthreport.org/2026/06/22/digging-for-dignity-helps-restore-names-at-historic-cemetery/).
While millions of letters sat undelivered across Europe, threatening to sever the connection between soldiers and their families, the women of the Six Triple Eight accomplished what many believed impossible. Through discipline, determination, and excellence, they cleared overwhelming mail backlogs and restored hope to troops serving far from home (https://libraries.uta.edu/news/honoring-local-6888th-battalion-members).
Decades later, their service was recognized with the Congressional Gold Medal, one of the nation’s highest civilian honors.
From the Buffalo Soldiers of the nineteenth century to the women of the Six Triple Eight, from frontier forts to foreign battlefields, a single thread weaves through the American story:
Service. Sacrifice. Perseverance. Faith.
That is why gathering beneath the Togetherness Tree matters (https://youtu.be/jtTr5A1elmg?is=X7rRjJf0l4axiSJE).
History is not merely found in books.
History lives in names.
History lives in stories.
History lives in the memories we choose to preserve.
As America marks 250 years of independence, this gathering invites us to honor those whose contributions were too often overlooked but whose sacrifices helped make the nation stronger, freer, and more just.
For one afternoon, the voices of Buffalo Soldiers, Black pioneers, veterans, educators, laborers, mothers, fathers, and freedom dreamers will echo once more beneath the Togetherness Tree.
And America will remember.
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Website: www.newmountrose.com
“They Served With Honor. We Remember With Gratitude.”
“They Were Faithful Then. We Must Be Faithful Now.”
“Restoring Our Ancestors’ Living Dignity While Preserving Their Living History and Teaching Their Living Legacy.”
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