Military talks begin with Buffalo Soldiers

Who were the Buffalo Soldiers? They were the earliest all-black regiments in the U.S. Army; the name was used informally during the Civil War but became an official designation immediately afterwards.

And what did they have to do with Vancouver? Come find out on Feb. 18, when a free talk entitled “Buffalo Soldiers at Vancouver Barracks” will be presented in honor of Black History Month.

Speaking will be U.S. Army Staff Sgt. (retired) Frazier Raymond, a member of the Moses Williams Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Buffalo Soldiers. (Moses Williams was a Medal of Honor recipient who served at Fort Stevens and is buried at the Vancouver Barracks Post Cemetery.) Historical artifacts and photos of Buffalo Soldiers stationed at the Vancouver Barracks will be on display before the talk. Current members of the local Buffalo Soldiers chapter will also welcome visitors.

Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 18 at the Marshall House, 1301 Officers Row; Raymond’s talk will be from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

This is the first of several third-Thursday Military History talks sponsored by the Vancouver Military Barracks Association, set for 6:30 p.m. at the Marshall House and featuring retired U.S. Army officers:

• March 17: “U.S .Army Ambulance Service in World War I” with Jack Giesen.

• April 21: “Update on the Islamic State” with Daniel Sockle.

• May 19: “Changing Army Culture, A Female Perspective” with Kelly Jones.

• June 16: “The Oregon Trail and Today’s Mass Migrations” with Bruce Mulkey.

Also, a visiting lecturer has been added on March 10: Rob Havers from the Marshall Foundation of Virginia will speak on “Marshall and Churchill, Soldiers and Statesmen.” The talk is still at 6:30 p.m., but the site will be the Red Cross Building at Fort Vancouver, 605 Barnes St.

Please RSVP to president@vbma.us if you plan to attend. Visit www.vbma.us or www.fortvan.org for more information.