The Harlem Hellfighters The Forgotten Heroes Of Wwi Essay

The Harlem Hellfighters: The Forgotten Heroes of WWI The French called them the Men of Bronze out of respect, and the Germans called them the Hellfighters out of fear. This quote by Max Brooks perfectly describes one of the most decorated World War 1 units that you’ve probably never heard of. Yes, you heard that right, one of the most decorated American units and you have probably never heard of them. They are the Harlem Hellfighters, and their story is one that should be taught in history books all around the country. Information regarding the Harlem Hellfighters— including facts about the infantry, war stories, and racism showed to them— will help provide evidence to back up my argument on why I believe they should be included in history textbooks. As stated earlier, the Harlem Hellfighters came back from WWI as one of the most-decorated American units, but their journey to that point was not an easy one. Originally the 15th New York National Guard Infantry Regiment, the Harlem Hellfighters were an all-black infantry unit during WWI. Their name was changed to the 369th Infantry during the war. The infantry, although properly trained for battle, began the war with labor jobs rather than seeing the battlefield. They mostly spent their time unloading ships. While in America, they never got a chance to see battle because white soldiers in other regiments refused to fight with African Americans. In an NPR article titled, â€Å"The Harlem Hellfighters: Fighting Racism in