Buffalo Soldiers In Chattanooga

The term "Buffalo Soldier" applies to African-American soldiers that fought in select regiments from the Spanish-American War, to the Korean War.

Each year, they have a reuinion. This year, it's come to Chattanooga.

Clyde Jones is a Buffalo Soldier, having fought in the Korean War. He's from Dayton, but today lives in Harriman, Tennessee.

"When we get together we have a good time basically," he says. "we reminisce about the things that happened in the war."

He's one of the men responsible for bringing the Buffalo soldier reunion to Chattanooga.

A reunion he says, that is close to home.

And also a rememberance of a different time.

"Back in those days there was the White Army and the Black Army. We were the Black Army, and back in those days we had to do things a little bit different."

Along the way, there are stories, and there are laughs.

And each man has a different story.

Carroll Washington, who traveled from Louisiana to take part in the reunion, says, "I was with the 24th, I joined them in '48 in Japan, and then the Korean War broke out."

Lionel West traveled from California, and says, "we shot day--day in and day out, and we was pretty good at it."

Jones says the contributions of the Buffalo Soldiers went largely forgotten until recently. "We were the ones that stayed on these hills and these mountains in Korea to hold to try to win the war," he says.

For some, they're just glad to be back with their friends.
"Some of them I remember by name, some of them i remember by face," says Joseph Davis. "I'm glad to be here in harmony with them."

But for many, it's a chance to let future generations know what their contribution meant to their freedom.

"We would like our families to know, and most importantly we would like our children to know what we went through, because it hasn't been easy," says Jones.

The Buffalo Soldiers reunion goes through Sunday.

There's a memorabilia exhibit that will be free and open to the public throughout the weekend.

There will also be a fundraiser and fashion show coming up tomorrow, and you'll need to get your tickets by tonight.

There is also a banquet Saturday.

Coming up on tomorrow's This-N-That with Don Welch, you'll hear more from the Buffalo Soldiers. That's at 12:30, on NewsChannel9.

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For those interested in attending the reunion, it's held at the Chattanooga Choo-Choo.

The fashion show is the primary fundraising event for the organization's scholarship programs. The annual banquet honors the "Buffalo Soldiers."