Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Oldest Buffalo Soldier marks 108th birthday
CNN ^ | 8/7/2002

Posted on 08/07/2002 8:13:35 PM PDT by ArcLight

The oldest living member of the 10th Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers marked his 108th birthday Wednesday with a trip to the State Department.

Retired 1st Sgt. Mark Matthews met with Secretary of State Colin Powell, a long-time advocate of commemorating the Buffalo Soldiers -- black soldiers who served in segregated outfits on the Western frontier in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.


(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: blacksoldiers; heroes; history

1 posted on 08/07/2002 8:13:35 PM PDT by ArcLight
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: ArcLight
Enlisted in 1910. That's unreal!
2 posted on 08/07/2002 9:13:13 PM PDT by JennysCool
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ArcLight
He ought to visit the home of the Buffalo Soldier - Fort Huachuca.
3 posted on 08/07/2002 9:18:52 PM PDT by FrogMom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ArcLight; mhking
Bump.
4 posted on 08/07/2002 10:56:43 PM PDT by First_Salute
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ArcLight
Bump for the 10th and their living legend.
5 posted on 08/07/2002 11:31:51 PM PDT by wasp69
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ArcLight; mhking
ping and a bump.
6 posted on 08/07/2002 11:36:14 PM PDT by farmfriend
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: First_Salute
You beat me to mhking. Sorry I didn't read the whole thread before I pinged.
7 posted on 08/07/2002 11:37:41 PM PDT by farmfriend
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: rdb3; Khepera; elwoodp; MAKnight; condolinda; mafree; Trueblackman; FRlurker; Teacher317; ...
Black conservative ping

If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)

Extra warning: this is a high-volume ping list.

8 posted on 08/08/2002 5:26:02 AM PDT by mhking
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mhking
Wow, 108! And he was a Buffalo soldier. That man must have some very good genes, and wouldn't you just love to hear the stories he must have to tell? Somebody get that man's life story down on tape, if it hasn't already been done! Living history like this man is, should be recorded before he leaves us.
9 posted on 08/08/2002 6:18:32 AM PDT by xJones
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: FrogMom
The museum at Huachuca (surprisingly lot of history there) and the Pima Air Museum north of it were my favorites.
Hope both are still operating and, if they are, recommend both to anyone driving through S. Arizona.
10 posted on 08/08/2002 6:19:13 AM PDT by norton
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: mhking
YOW! What an amazing story about an amazing man. Thanks very much for the ping.
11 posted on 08/08/2002 7:05:43 AM PDT by Gumlegs
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: JennysCool
I wonder what our childrens generation will do for the surviving WWII vets in the year 2030
12 posted on 08/08/2002 7:11:12 AM PDT by Nat Turner
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: ArcLight
Reminds me of the Bob Marley song.
13 posted on 08/08/2002 7:13:14 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ArcLight
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, old soldier!

for dixie,sw

14 posted on 08/08/2002 10:23:03 AM PDT by stand watie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ArcLight

Forward at the gallop! HO!

15 posted on 08/08/2002 10:26:45 AM PDT by Pistolshot
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pistolshot; SLB; Wally Cleaver
Scouts out!!
16 posted on 08/08/2002 10:32:09 AM PDT by Fred Mertz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: ArcLight
The 10th was, at one time, based at Fort Davis, Texas. There is also a museum dedicated to the Buffalo Soldiers there.

Fort Davis also hosted the only Camel Corps in the history of the U.S. military...

17 posted on 08/08/2002 11:44:10 AM PDT by okie01
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: norton
Both are still operating.
18 posted on 08/08/2002 3:15:31 PM PDT by FrogMom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: ArcLight
My 3rd-grade teacher was extraordinarily old. I commented on her life (she died in 1994 at age 97) to an e-mail friend just last week:

Of "Miss Dessie:"

-- if there had been a newspaper account of the Wright Brothers' flight at Kitty Hawk, she'd have been old enough to read it.

-- When she was 72, she watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon.

-- If she'd been a man, she could have been cannon-fodder in the First World War.

-- While it's hard to imagine her adopting this image, as a young woman during the "Roaring 20's," she could have been a flapper doing the Charleston in a speakeasy.

-- She was a middle-aged woman when Pearl Harbor got bombed. (Or was that Pearl Bailey?)

-- When she talked about President Roosevelt, you had to ask her which one, as she remembered both.

-- Finally retired from teaching sometime in the 70's, she spent her last ambulatory years as a "pink lady" at the local hospital.

As kids we thought she was weird, but years later we knew she was just what we needed.

Rest in peace, Miss Dessie.

19 posted on 08/08/2002 3:25:24 PM PDT by ihatemyalarmclock
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FrogMom
Thanks, I remember when the Pima museum was a couple of WW2 bombers rolled up to the perimeter road at DMAFB. And, the parade ground at Huachuca set my mind's image of a perfect frontier fort. (Way better than Old Main at U of A)
20 posted on 08/09/2002 7:01:26 AM PDT by norton
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson