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7OCTOBER2014BODYOFCHRISTNEWSJohnJRBrucewholivesinKansasCityMissourihasbeenaBuffaloSoldierre-enactorsince1996whenhiscousinJohnBellgothiminvolvedinthisprofession.JRgraduatedfromFortLaramieWyomingCavalrySchoolandhasaresumeinHollywoodportrayingBuffaloSoldiers.In1997heactedinTeddyRooseveltandtheRoughRiderswithSamElliotGaryBuseyandGeorgeHamilton.Therearere-enactorslocatedthroughouttheUnitedStates.JRisamemberoftheKansasCity-LeavenworthAreaChapteroftheBuffaloSoldiersoftheAmericanWestwhichisbasedinDenverColorado.Asare-enactorJRshowspeoplethehistoryoftheBuffaloSoldierhowtheymaneuveredonhorsesandotheractivitiesthroughhistoricalportrayals.HiswifeLenasewsallofhisuniformsandmakesuniformsforsomeoftheotherre-enactorsaswelldraftingherownpatternsbasedonhistoricalpho-tos.GaryVestanotherre-enactorwhoportraysCommanderBenjaminGreersonownsacostumeshopandmakesperiodcostumesforHollywoodandotherproductions.TheBuffaloSoldierscameintobeingafterhav-ingservedduringtheCivilWarfrom1862somewereslavesandsomewerefreedslaves.180000hadfoughtfortheUnionand33000ofthemdiedduringtheWar.AftertheCivilWarendedin1865CongresswasntsurewhattodowithalloftheBlacksoldiers.OnJuly281866CongressputtogethersixBlackregiments.Theyformedthe38th39th40thand41stallInfantryandthe9thand10thCavalries.The10thCavalrywasthefirsttobecalledBuffaloSoldiers.The10thCavalrywasestablishedatFt.LeavenworthKansas.The9thCavalrywasestab-lishedinGreenvilleLouisiananearNewOrleans.TheypatrolledtheentireWesternFrontierandfoughttheIndians.TheCheyenneIndiansdubbedthe10thCavalryBuffaloSoldiersafteraskirmishbetweenthe10thandabandofIndianWarriorsnearFortHayesKansas.TheIndianshadneverbeforeseenBlackmeninuniformandtheysaidtheBlacksoldiersfoughtlikewoundedbuffalo.SaysJRWhenyoushootabuffaloheswoundedanditslikegoingintoahor-netsnestwithhim.AndthatishowtheBlacksol-diersfought--ferociously.ThebuffaloissacredtotheIndiansbecausebuffalowereverynecessarytotheirlivelihood.Theyusedhishideforshelterblan-ketsandtentshishornsfortoolsandweaponstheyatethemeatandtheirmedicinemanusedtheheadforceremonies.ThetermbuffalosoldierwasatermofhonorrecognizingtheBlackSoldiersheroism.Alsothenamewasgivenbecausethecoloroftheirskinandalsotheappearanceoftheirhairremindedthemofbuffalo.TheKansasCity-LeavenworthAreaChapteroftheBuffaloSoldiersoftheAmericanWestisaveryactivechapterpresentingabout60outdoorre-enactmentsduringthewarmermonthsandgoingintoschoolstospeaktothechildrenandteachthemaboutthispartofourhistoryduringthewin-ter.TheyarealsopreparingtopresentaplaycalledFiddlersGreenwithacastof53.ItisaboutthemanyCavalrymenwhodiedandtheirwiveswhowantedtobeburiedalongsidetheirhusbandswhentheydie.JRBrucewasnominatedPresidentoftheGreaterKansasCity-LeavenworthChapterthisyear.OnSeptember5JRwasinvitedtomeet4-StarGeneralColinPowellatFt.LeavenworthKansaswhereastatueofPowellwastobeunveiled.GeneralColinPowellandNavyCommanderCarltonPhilpotwereresponsibleforinitiatingfundingandsupportforthemonumentatFortLeavenworththathonorstheBuffaloSoldiers.JamesMadison92whowasanactualBuffaloSoldierandPresidentoftheKansasCity-LeavenworthAreaChapterfrom1966-2014wasalsoinattendanceandreceivedaHumanitarianAward.JRexplainsWearrivedattheconferenceroomwhereaselectfewhadbeeninvited.TherewerefouroriginalBuffaloSoldierspresentandaboutsixTuskegeeAirmen.Somestateandcitydigni-tarieswerealsointheroom.GeneralColinPowellarrivedandspokebrieflywithsomewhowerepres-entincludingmeandthenheaddressedtheentireroom.AfterthatweallwentoutsideandjoinedtheotherpeopleandwitnessedtheunveilingofthestatueofGeneralColinPowell.JRcontinuesAtthecenteroftheCircleofFirstsmonumentareaisalargestatueofthe10thCavalryBuffaloSoldiers.NearbystandsthenewstatueofGeneralColinPowell.InthesurroundingareaisabronzebustofLt.HenryO.FlipperwhowasthefirstBlackOfficerwhograduatedfromWestPointandwhohadservedwiththe10thCavalry.Anotherbusthonors555thParatroopersunitbet-terknownasTripleNickel.ThereisalsoabustoftheFirstCommanderofthe10thCavalryBenjaminGreersonwhowastheWhiteofficerleadingtheBuffaloSoldiersunderhiscommand.WethoughtitwasfittingthatthereisnowalsoabustofGeneralColinPowellalongsidetheothers.ThebustshavebeensculptedbyEddieDixonandcastbyTexasFoundryinLubbockTexas.TherearealsoplansforabusthonoringalltheAfro-AmericanWomenwhoserveinthemilitarypastandpresent.Itwasexcit-ingtomeetsomeoftheoriginalBuffaloSoldiersandGeneralColinPowellanditwasanhonortobeincludedinthishistoricalgathering.ThemottooftheBuffaloSoldiersoftheAmericanWestisItsnottheGlorybutitstheStory.IfyouwouldliketocontactJohnJRBrucehisphonenumberis1-816-716-9537andhise-mailaddressisraildrifter43yahoo.comContacttheMetroDenverheadquartersofficeofBuffaloSoldiersoftheAmericanWestatinqui-riesbuffalosoldiers-amwest.orgBuffaloSoldierMeetsPowellCOMMUNITYTheBuffaloSoldierscameintobeingafterhavingservedduringtheCivilWar.AftertheCivilWarendedin1865CongresswasntsurewhattodowithalloftheBlacksoldiers.