WASHINGTON, D.C. – In honor of Black History Month, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) introduced a bipartisan resolution recognizing the dedication and courage of the Buffalo Soldiers. Brown’s resolution honors the Buffalo Soldiers for their contributions to the U.S. military following the Civil War and their service as the nation’s first National Park Rangers.
Brown’s resolution honors soldiers like Colonel Charles P. Young, a U.S. Army Officer born to slaves in 1864. Young was the third African American to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. As a Buffalo Soldier with the 9th and 10th Cavalry and the 25th Infantry, Young eventually became the first African American to achieve the rank of Colonel in the United States Army. Young also taught military science at Wilberforce University in Wilberforce, Ohio.
Brown led the charge to designate the Charles P. Young House in Wilberforce as the Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument in 2013.
“Colonel Young broke barriers for so many who came after him,” Brown said. “The contributions made by Young and the rest of the Buffalo Soldiers who fought for our nation should be recognized on a national scale.”
Full text of Brown’s resolution can be found here.
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