Preface

      The history of the military contributions of the African American in the making of America has been quite unique, to say the least. Never has a people sacrificed and given so much to a nation and received so little in return. This unique and one-sided relationship has been in existence since March 5, 1770, at the incident on King Street known as the Boston Massacre with the death of Crispus Attucks, a black man and the first to be killed. The struggle of the African American for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness was all but forgotten in the pages of American history books. It is my hope that this brief work of Historical Moments will help fill that very important gap in our nation’s history.

      Acknowledgments

      I would like to thank my wife, Flo, for her valuable assistance in the completion of this work and for her love and encouragement. A special thanks to my son, Greg, who is fulfilling his childhood dream of becoming an illustrator. Thanks to my niece, Sarita, for her valuable technical assistance, and a very special acknowledgement to Mr. Ken Thomas, aka Dream Maker, founder and first president of the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club of which I am a proud member.

      Ken’s dream was to start a club that was dedicated to the military contributions of the African American in the defense of America, as well as honoring the legacy of the 9th and 10th African American Cavalry known as the Buffalo Soldiers. This group of diverse men and women not only have a love of riding motorcycles, they also have a dedicated commitment to community involvement. At this writing, there are 117 chapters throughout the United States with a chapter in Hawaii and South Korea, and all are involved in such community activities as fund raising for local charities, youth scholarship programs, Toys for Tots drives, assisting with the Special Olympics, and contributing to the sickle cell research program, a disease