NOGALES, Ariz. (KGUN) — A legacy was honored early Saturday morning as dozens gathered at the Nogales Cemetery for the second annual Salute to the Nogales Buffalo Soldiers.
The Nogales Buffalo Soldiers Legacy Association hosted a Veteran's Salutewhere the Fort Huachuca Color Guard and the "B Troop" Cavalry performed, along with dozens of descendants and friends of Buffalo Soldiers. Nogales High School choir students took part as well.
The Buffalo Soldiers were some of the first African-Americans to serve in the U.S. Army. Their primary assignments were to protect settlers, guard the U.S. mail and build infrastructure.
James "Shaft" Foreman, a part of the National Association of Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club, described the tribute as "an honor to be a part of."
"Buffalo Soldiers- What can you tell me? And my response to that is, 'how much time do you have?'," said Foreman. "This is a part of American History."
Foreman, along with Carlos Bazan, AKA "Lobo", who too, is part of the Buffalo Soldiers MC, travel around the world. They have visited over 120 chapters to date, teaching the history of the Buffalo Soldiers.
"We honor the legacy and tradition of the Buffalo Soldiers. We ride, we educate, and we serve," said Bazan.
But the Buffalo Soldiers were simultaneously fighting two separate battles. One battle against westward expansion and the other against extreme racial prejudice.
"They were here to keep the peace, protect the people, cattle drives, wagon trains, the railroad, the telegraph, set that up, maintain that, and keeping the peace in general. That's what they were here for. And that's what they did, and did not get a lot of respect for it," said Foreman.
However, the Buffalo Soldiers refused to be put in a box.
"Because of the color of their skin, because of where they came from, they were considered sub-citizens," Lobo shared. "They were not 'qualified' they were not 'good-enough'."
They fought back, harder.
"You give a Black man a rifle-which they were never able to have before, is now freedom to them," he explained. "And you give them a pocket full of bullets and the courage that they had in their hearts and they became the most respected, feared warriors in the Western United States."
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Breanna Isbell is a reporter for KGUN 9. She joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2022 after receiving her bachelor’s degree in sports journalism from Arizona State University in May. Share your story ideas with Breanna by emailing breanna.isbell@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, or Twitter.
