Buffalo Soldiers: Importance of cultural diversity in U.S. Air Force history

  • Published
  • By Courtesy of the Warren ICBM & Heritage Museum
  • 90th Missile Wing
F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo. --  Warren is home to the 90th Missile Wing, activated July 1, 1963, as the 90th Strategic Missile Wing. 

Today, the "Mighty Ninety" is known as the premier missile wing in the U.S. Air Force responsible for the operation of 150 Minuteman III missiles, which are on alert status 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 

The military installation, known today as Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, traces its historic roots back to the Transcontinental Railroad days of 1867 when it was known then as a cavalry post named for Army Brigadier General David A. Russell, a now obscure, but well respected, Civil War general who died in 1864. 

Perhaps the best known cavalry units to be stationed at historic Fort D.A. Russell are the Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th and 10th Cavalry. The Buffalo Soldier moniker and buffalo patch were used by all black regiments, but historians argue only the 10th Cavalry can truly be associated with the Buffalo Soldiers because they were heavily involved in the Indian Wars. 

After the Indian Wars ended in the 1890s, the 10th Cavalry continued to honorably serve the Army during the Spanish-American War, to include the famous charge up San Juan Hill with the future president of the United States, Teddy Roosevelt. 

They also served with General John J. Pershing during the Mexican Punitive Expedition and the pursuit of Poncho Villa, and they provided security detail at the execution of Tom Horn, a controversial Wyoming figure who was hung in 1903. 

The 9th Cavalry was involved in a high-profile historic battle in Colorado known as the Meeker Massacre. Some thirty-four Buffalo Soldiers were called into service to rescue two all white cavalry regiments, the 3rd and 5th cavalry. 

It appears the Buffalo Soldiers received a hero's welcome at Denver after the campaign. The 9th participated in other historic campaigns in the Dakotah Territory such as the Ghost Dance Phenomena and the Johnson County War. 

During the Johnson County War, Wyoming cattle barons hired guns from Texas to remove small ranchers and settlers from grazing lands in Johnson County. The 9th Cavalry was deployed from Fort Robinson, Neb., to Suggs, Wyo., to quell tensions and restore order and to escort prisoners to Fort D.A. Russell to await justice. 

One of the more famous Buffalo Soldiers to be stationed with the 9th Cavalry here was Army Captain Benjamin O. Davis Sr., who earned the distinction as the first black general officer in the United States Army. 

While stationed at Fort D.A. Russell, Captain Davis and his troops were active participants as trick riders during Cheyenne Frontier Days. The commander was especially famous for riding Roman Style, which required a horseman to ride two horses at the same time. 

A famous Buffalo Soldier, not stationed here but with ties to Cheyenne and the 10th Cavalry, is Army Sgt. Maj. Edward Baker, a native of Laramie County, Wyo., who was awarded a Medal of Honor duringtheSpanish-American War for leaving cover under fire to rescue a wounded comrade from drowning July 1, 1898. 

In all, there are about 23 Buffalo Soldiers to have received a Medal of Honor between the years 1870 to 1890. 

Today, the proud legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers is prominent in the street names at Warren in designated streets such as 9th and 10th Cavalry. 

The spirit of the Buffalo Soldier is also captured in a magnificent statue located at Vernon Baker Park just outside the military base. The base cemetery is the final resting place of some 24 Buffalo Soldiers.