Ceremony remembers Delaware's Buffalo Soldiers

From Delaware Online: Ceremony remembers Delaware's Buffalo Soldiers

When Joletta Watson heard the names of her relatives called out today as a bell tolled, she felt her ancestors were finally getting the honor they deserved for military service.

"Just to hear their names means a lot to me and my family,” Watson said.

Watson, of Newark, was one of a few dozen people who attended a ceremony at Fort duPont State Park near Delaware City to honor African American troops who had died. There are about 900 known African American Civil War troops from Delaware, but so far only 300 grave sites have been identified. Each of those 300 names was read aloud Saturday by the Greater Delaware Area Chapter of the Buffalo Soldiers, a nonprofit group named for the African American troops who were called “buffalo soliers” by American Indians.

“We seek to promote the service of these troops and this event fell right in line with that,” said president Robert Jackson, of Middletown.

Saturday's event is sponsored by the nonprofit Delaware Military Heritage & Education Foundation -- dedicated to preserving the military history of the state and its residents -- as part of a commemoration recognizing this year as the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War.

The salute to these African American troops was organized to bring awareness to their sacrifice and because many did not return home to parades and other gestures of gratitude when they returned from war.

The Junior ROTC from William Penn High School and the Delaware City Civil Air Patrol presented the state and national flag for a salute at the beginning of the event. Soon after Willis Phelps, a retired member of the Delaware National Guard, marched to the front of the room dressed as a Civil War soldier. He sang “Battle Cry of Freedom,” a patriotic song written during the Civil War, as he marched.

Shortly before the names were read, Bill Conley, the event coordinator, encouraged visitors to remember that each name represented a young man. And that young person fought for the Union despite great personal risk, including being captured while fighting in the South.

“These 300 names that we will read ... at least we gave them one moment in time when we recognized their service,” Conley said.

The names were read by Jackson, William Storey, Robert Wilkins and Phelps, who took turns reading from the 13 pages.

Phelps ended the service by reading “Only a Soldiers Grave,” by S.A. Jones. It was a sad tribute to servicemen that told a story about a forgotten soldier’s grave.

Yet, we should mark it -- the soldier's grave,
Some one may seek him in hope to save!
Some of the dear ones, far away,
Would bear him home to his native clay:
'Twere sad, indeed, should they wander nigh,
Find not the hillock, and pass him by.