February 18, 1957 Dedan Kimathi Waciuri, Kenyan freedom fighter, was executed. Kimathi was born October 31, 1920 in the Nyeri District of Kenya. In 1941, he enlisted in the army to fight on the side of the British during World War II however he was expelled in 1944 for misconduct. In 1946, he became a […]
Tag Archives | Army
February 15th in African American History – Charles Leroy Thomas
February 15, 1980 Charles Leroy Thomas, Medal of Honor recipient, died. Thomas was born April 17, 1920 in Alabama. Before World War II, he worked at Ford Motor Company and was a student at Wayne State University. On December 14, 1944 Second Lieutenant Thomas led a task force in the capture of Climbach, France. Thomas’ […]
February 7th in African American History – Eugene Ashley, Jr.
February 7, 1968 Eugene Ashley, Jr., Medal of Honor recipient, died. Ashley was born October 12, 1931 in Wilmington, North Carolina but raised in New York City. Ashley joined the United States Army in 1950 and served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. On February 6, 1968, while serving as a sergeant first class in […]
February 6th in African American History – Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr.
February 6, 1993, Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr., professional tennis player and civil rights activist, died. Ashe was born July 10, 1943 in Richmond, Virginia. In 1963, he became the first black player ever selected to the United States Davis Cup team. In 1965, Ashe won the National Collegiate Athletic Association tennis singles title. Ashe graduated […]
November 5th in African American History – Eddie Harris
November 5, 1996 Eddie Harris, jazz musician, died. Harris was born October 20, 1934 in Chicago, Illinois. He studied music at DuSable High School and Roosevelt University before he was drafted into the army where he played in the 7th Army Band. His first album, “Exodus to Jazz” (1961), included his jazz arrangement of the […]
October 31st in African American History – Riley Leroy Pitts
October 31, 1967 Riley Leroy Pitts, the first African American commissioned officer to receive the Medal of Honor, died. Pitts was born October 15, 1937 in Fallis, Oklahoma. In 1960, he graduated from Wichita State University with a degree in journalism. After being commissioned as an officer in the Army, he was sent to Vietnam […]
October 23rd in African American History – Paul Kagame
October 23, 1957 Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, was born in Ruhango, Rwanda. Kagame began his military career in 1979 when he joined the National Resistance Army (NRA) and spent years fighting as a guerrilla against the government of Uganda. In 1985, Kagame co-founded the Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF) political party. In […]