“…the thunder and roar of the massed artillery shook the earth and the sky was alight with the flashes of guns. It was wondrous—it was insanity and the fever of it gripped us all…”
~ Veteran of the fighting at Bussy Farm
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Distinguished Service Cross, Croix de Guerre and Medaille Militaire
To prepare for war in Europe, the United States government united the disparate elements of state militias into a centrally organized National Guard. In keeping with the United States Army’s strict segregationist policies, Company L of the 6th Massachusetts Volunteer Militia was combined with Black companies from other states to form the 372nd Regiment of Infantry, a segregated unit composed entirely of soldiers of color. Upon arrival in France, the Black soldiers of the 372nd Infantry were attached to the 157th Infantry Division of the French Army. Known as the “Red Hand” Division for its distinctive insignia, the corps consisted of men recruited from French colonial territories in Africa.
Fighting with tenacity and bravery, the 372nd and its fellow regiments were singled out for praise by French and American generals. They returned to Massachusetts as heroes.
