AT A GLANCE
- Black Americans have fought in every U.S. conflict from the Revolutionary War to Iraq and Afghanistan.
- Units like the Buffalo Soldiers, Harlem Hellfighters, Tuskegee Airmen, and Montford Point Marines reshaped American history through service and sacrifice.
- Approximately 180,000 Black men served in the Union Army and 19,000 in the Navy during the Civil War, paving the way for civil rights advances.
- Trump’s ongoing government shutdown and federal job cuts threaten the stability that military and federal work have historically offered Black communities.
Black Americans Have Fought In Every Single American War
Veterans Day, observed on November 11, honors those who have worn the uniform of the United States military. Since the first enslaved Africans arrived in 1619, Black men and women have fought, bled, and built the very foundations of American freedom.
Their story is one of contradiction and courage of patriots who served a country that too often denied them citizenship, rights, and recognition. Yet from the battlefields of the American Revolution to the sands of Iraq, their loyalty never wavered.
After World War II, the federal government became one of the first employers to offer steady pay, pensions, and a path into the middle class. Skills learned in uniform translated into civilian federal jobs. By 2024, Black workers made up 18.5% of the federal civilian workforce, far above their 14.8% share of the population.
Long before the Emancipation Proclamation or the Civil War, thousands of Black men and women risked everything in the Revolutionary War. Between 5,000 and 8,000 fought for the Patriots, while up to 20,000 joined the British, drawn by promises of freedom. The First Rhode Island Regiment became one of the most famous, made up of free and enslaved Black men promised emancipation for their service.
Buffalo Soldiers
After emancipation, the 9th and 10th Cavalry and the 24th and 25th Infantry Regiments—known as the Buffalo Soldiers—became the first permanent Black units in the U.S. Army. Formed by Congress on July 28, 1866, they built forts, protected settlers, and defended the Texas frontier.
Harlem Hellfighters
During World War I, the Harlem Hellfighters of the 369th Infantry Regiment spent more time in combat than any other American unit. Despite facing racism and segregation, they returned as heroes whose band introduced jazz to Europe, even as their service was overlooked at home.
Tuskegee Airmen
In World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen, the first Black military aviators, soared across the skies of Europe. The 688th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-Black, all-female unit, kept soldiers connected to home by sorting millions of letters overseas.
Golden Thirteen
Also in 1944, USS Mason (DE-529) became the first U.S. Navy ship manned by an all-Black crew in full operational roles rather than stewards and cooks. James E. Hair, one of the Navy’s newly commissioned “Golden Thirteen,” served as the ship’s first Black officer during WWII.
Black Panthers
The 761st Tank Battalion—the “Black Panthers”—became the first Black combat tank unit, while the Triple Nickels (555th Parachute Infantry Battalion) became the first all-Black airborne unit, later fighting wildfires in the Pacific Northwest. The Montford Point Marines, the first Black men in the Marine Corps, trained under segregation in North Carolina but went on to desegregate one of America’s toughest branches.
In Vietnam, Black soldiers made up more than 30% of front-line combat troops, despite being a smaller share of the population. From the jungles of Southeast Asia to the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan, Black service members continued to fight for a nation that too often failed to fight for them.
Each of these groups fought not just a foreign enemy, but the domestic lie that their lives were worth less.
As we observe Veterans Day, we honor those who stood tall in courage. Even in times of political division and government shutdowns, their legacy endures.
Thank a veteran. And thank you, Veterans, for your service.
