Story Highlights
Cpl. Isaiah Mays served as Buffalo Soldier in late 1800s
Mays received Medal of Honor, but was denied federal pension
He died in 1925 in an Arizona state hospital that took care of poor
Group of hospital staff, veterans campaigned for Mays' burial at Arlington
By Bob Kovach
CNN
ARLINGTON, Virginia (CNN) -- It was a journey that took more than a hundred years.
Missing for decades, the remains of Cpl. Isaiah Mays, a Buffalo Soldier and Medal of Honor recipient, were laid to rest Friday at Arlington National Cemetery.
Paying respects were African-American veterans, U.S. Army soldiers and those who rode for days as part of a motorcycle escort -- members of the Missing in America Project, who traveled from as far away as California and Arizona at their own expense to make sure Mays got a proper burial.
Mays was born a slave in Virginia in 1858 but spent most of his life west of the Mississippi, joining the famed Buffalo Soldiers as the black cavalry and infantry troops fought in the frontier Indian Wars.
In 1889, he was part of a small detachment assigned to protect a U.S. Army pay wagon, which was caught in an ambush by a band of bandits. A gunfight ensued and almost all the soldiers were wounded or killed. Mays was shot in both legs. The bandits made off with $29,000 in gold coins.
Despite his wounds, Mays managed to walk and crawl two miles to a ranch to seek help. He was awarded a Medal of Honor on February 15, 1890.
More than 20 Buffalo Soldiers have received the Medal of Honor, the military's highest award for valor. No other unit has won more.
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http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/05/29/missing.soldier.buried/
The recent article on the burial of a Buffalo Soldier at Arlington contained the incorrect statement that "more than 20 Buffalo Soldiers have received the Medal of Honor, the military's highest award for valor. No other unit has won more." Actually the six Buffalo Soldier regiments (units) won a combined 23 Medals of Honor. A single non-buffalo soldier unit, the 8th Cavalry alone won 91 Medals of Honor during the Indian Wars, and the non-buffalo soldier
ReplyDelete6th Cavalry won 43 Medals of Honor during the some time period. Buffalo Soldier is a nickname not a unit designation and the claim that Buffalo Soldiers either as a single regiment or combined regiments won more Medals of Honor than any other unit is false.
Buckhorn, thank you very much for posting that. It sounds like you know more than CNN! Hope you sent them the correction.
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