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Retired lieutenant colonel privileged to share Buffalo Soldiers' story for over 20 years

Gazette - 5/29/2023

May 29—Under a green canopy Monday, the bravery of Buffalo Soldiers was recounted in Evergreen Cemetery, the final resting place of one of those troops.

In period uniforms four horsemen and others portrayed members of the 10th Cavalry Regiment, George Mason's all-Black unit established after the Civil War and made up of many former slaves and Civil War veterans. Mason served in the Spanish American War and died in 1929.

For retired Lt. Col. Terrance Beasley, it was one of numerous events he's been a part of over 20 years to help tell the story of those who served in segregated cavalry and infantry regiments.

Growing up on a farm in Louisiana with his own pony, Beasley loved Westerns. So when he stumbled across the story of the Black soldiers outside of school, it was a "treasure" and he dove into their history on his own.

During his many moves across his Army career, he said he always found ways share their story, through events such as parades, rodeos and school presentations.

"It's a privilege to share that legacy and that history," he said.

The Buffalo Soldier regiments established in 1866 often served west of the Mississippi during conflicts between settlers and Native Americans. The Native Americans likely gave them their nickname, Buffalo Soldiers.

In Colorado, Buffalo Soldiers were stationed at Fort Lyon, Fort Lewis and Fort Garland and fought in battles against the Cheyenne and the Utes.

Nationally, the segregated units serving under white officers also distinguished themselves in battle. For example, between 1870 and 1890, the 9th Cavalry earned 15 medals of honor, according to the Army.

Beasley, who served as an enlisted national guardsman and then a commissioned officer, appreciates the legacy of the all-Black regiments and sees himself continuing down the path they started.

"Times are different now, but you still have this issue of racism," he said, adding that in modern times it can be more passive aggressive.

When he was confronted with racism, he said he worked take the high road and remained confident in himself through his Medical Service Corps career.

In telling the story of the Buffalo Soldiers, he's found others who didn't learn about them in school and provided an eye-opening lesson about American history.

"It is continuing to spread that history and spread the truth and being accurate in that truth," he said.

In town, the Colorado Springs Buffalo Soldiers Community Memorial Committee helps keep the stories of the soldiers alive, putting on the Memorial Day event and advising on a new Buffalo Soldiers exhibit opening at the Fort Garland Museum and Cultural CenterJune 24, Chair Willie Breazell said. The committee highly encouraged the inclusion of Cathay Williams in the exhibit, the only known female Buffalo Soldier, he said.

For Breazell, education is key because so many people don't know about the segregated units.

"I want this story told over and over," he said.

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