Harlem on the Western Front

Americans, both black and white, marched off to war in 1918 to make the world safe for democracy. Unfortunately, the military was not immune from the racism of the times. Most often black soldiers were all but kept out of combat roles, or from becoming officers. Most blacks were given menial tasks, such as working in the kitchen, driving trucks, or constructing a barracks. The formation of the all-black 369th regiment from Harlem (New York City) sought to change this by getting black soldiers into combat. This is the story of the 369th, the first American soldiers on French soil who would spend more days in combat than any other unit. This is the story of the "orphan soldiers," who were unwanted and unloved by the American military establishment, yet feared by German troops for their fierceness, and honored by the French nation for their courage in battle. It is also the story of one missing-in-action soldier, Ted Cole, who was intimately tied to the 369th's struggle to bring pride and glory to the black Harlem community. It is a story largely written out of our popular history, yet worth knowing.