"The Harlem Hellfighters of the New York National Guard's 369th Infantry Regiment were posthumously honored this week with a Congressional Gold Medal. They received the highest civilian honor given by Congress, decades after their service during World War I was largely ignored by top military brass and amid broader efforts to revisit how American history is remembered. "It's never too late to do the right thing," said Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., at the Wednesday ceremony celebrating the troops and their families."
"Debra Willett, a granddaughter of Harlem Hellfighter Sgt. Leander Willett, accepted the award on the soldiers' behalf. "I know that my grandfather and the other brave men that fought alongside him never thought that their courage and their exploits would be celebrated in such a revered setting," she said. "They sacrificed, and they thought they were making a difference. And today proves that they did." The medal will be given to the Smithsonian Institution, "where it will be displayed as appropriate and made available for research," according to the bill put forth by Suozzi."
The Harlem Hellfighters of the New York National Guard's 369th Infantry Regiment were posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal this week. The medal honors their World War I service decades after their contributions were largely ignored by top military brass. Rep. Tom Suozzi, who introduced the bill in 2021, said "It's never too late to do the right thing" and praised the soldiers' legacy despite intense discrimination. House Speaker Mike Johnson acknowledged African-American soldiers repeatedly answered the call to fight even while denied full freedoms. Debra Willett, granddaughter of Sgt. Leander Willett, accepted the award, which will be given to the Smithsonian Institution for display and research.
Read at www.npr.org
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