61st Annual Buffalo Soldier Memorial Ceremony

WEST POINT – Last Sunday marked the 61st annual wreath-laying ceremony at Buffalo Soldier Field. It is organized by members of the Buffalo Soldiers Association of West Point Inc. (BSAWP) and the West Point community for the purpose of honoring the incredible legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers.

This year, retired Brig. Gen. Ty Seidule served as the keynote speaker.

Seidule began by saying, “We are here for two reasons, to remember and to celebrate.” He insisted that you can’t do one without the other.

He continued, “We celebrate the Buffalo Soldiers, especially the ones who served here. We celebrate their service to the nation and their formation just after the Civil War.”

Remembering that most of the Buffalo Soldiers were born into slavery, Seidule said, “to remember is to feel uncomfortable. Human bondage is the stain on our nations history that we must never, ever forget. Yet we celebrate those Black soldiers service as United States Color Troops who fought for their own freedom and to save this great country.” He also pointed out that those soldiers had the highest casualty rate in the war.

He spoke about Charles Young, an 1889 West Point graduate, who was born a slave, and made colonel before World War I. He commanded Buffalo Soldiers. Seidule said, “We remember that President Woodrow Wilson refused to promote him or allow him to serve in World War I. The president would not allow him to command white troops… In 2022 the Army posthumously promoted him to Brigadier General.”

Jim Crow laws and segregation were common for the Buffalo Soldiers. “We remember that many of them are buried in one section of the West Point Cemetery with smaller head stones that only lists their last names.

“We remember that the Buffalo Soldiers served in segregated units because that was the policy of our government and our army. And that makes me feel uncomfortable. Good! To grow we must be willing to feel uncomfortable,” he said.

As part of the celebration Dr. Aundrea Matthews, BSAWP President presented U.S. Military Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Steve Gilland with a token of appreciation for his support.

A plaque was presented to 102 year old Reverend Robert Dixon, the oldest known living West Point Buffalo Soldier. He assisted with the wreath-laying, proudly saluting as he looked up at the Buffalo Soldier Monument that was installed just last year.