Blacks in the Military-- Part 5: World War I

Many Blacks joined the U.S. military after the entry of the United States in World War  in 1917.  Of the 200,000 Blacks who served in the regular army, most did so in support roles within segregated units.  Some 170,000 never even left the country.

There were notable exceptions, though.  The 369th  Infantry Regiment, The Harlem Hellfighters, fought alongside the French Army for six months, during which 171 of its members earned the French Legion of Merit honor.

One member of the 369th also received a Medal of Honor, one of only two recipients of that honor among black troops during that war.

--Old Secesh