| Delaware County Remembers Songs, Trolleys, Gold Star Mothers, and Other Legacies of the “War to End War” |
Harlem Hellfighters (several of whom are at rest at Eden Cemetery)
Soldiers of the 369th (15th N.Y.) who won the Croix de Guerre for gallantry in action, 1919. Left to right. Front row:
Pvt. Ed Williams, Herbert Taylor, Pvt. Leon Fraitor, Pvt. Ralph Hawkins. Back Row: Sgt. H. D. Prinas, Sgt. Dan Storms,
Pvt. Joe Williams, Pvt. Alfred Hanley, and Cpl. T. W. Taylor
One of the first units in the United States armed forces to have black officers in addition to its all-black enlisted corps,
the 369th compiled a war record equal to any other U.S. infantry regiment. It earned several unit citations along with
many individual decorations for valor from the French government. The 369th Infantry Regiment was the first New
York unit to return to the United States, and was the first unit to march up Fifth Avenue from the Washington Square
Park Arch to their armory in Harlem. Their unit was placed on the permanent list with other veteran units.
In re-capping the story of the 369th Arthur W. Little, who had been a battalion commander, wrote in the regimental
history From Harlem to the Rhine, that it was official that the outfit was 191 days under fire, never lost a foot of ground
or had a man taken prisoner, though on two occasions men were captured but they were recovered. Only once did it
fail to take its objective and that was due largely to bungling by American headquarters support.
So by the end of the 369th Infantry's campaign in World War I they were present in the Champagne – Marne, Meuse –
Argonne, Champagne 1918, Alsace 1918 campaigns in which they suffered nearly 1,300 casualties the highest of any
US regiment.(Nelson 2009, pp. 203–4) The 369th also fought in distinguished battles such as Belleau Wood and
Chateau-Thierry.
Pvt. Ed Williams, Herbert Taylor, Pvt. Leon Fraitor, Pvt. Ralph Hawkins. Back Row: Sgt. H. D. Prinas, Sgt. Dan Storms,
Pvt. Joe Williams, Pvt. Alfred Hanley, and Cpl. T. W. Taylor
One of the first units in the United States armed forces to have black officers in addition to its all-black enlisted corps,
the 369th compiled a war record equal to any other U.S. infantry regiment. It earned several unit citations along with
many individual decorations for valor from the French government. The 369th Infantry Regiment was the first New
York unit to return to the United States, and was the first unit to march up Fifth Avenue from the Washington Square
Park Arch to their armory in Harlem. Their unit was placed on the permanent list with other veteran units.
In re-capping the story of the 369th Arthur W. Little, who had been a battalion commander, wrote in the regimental
history From Harlem to the Rhine, that it was official that the outfit was 191 days under fire, never lost a foot of ground
or had a man taken prisoner, though on two occasions men were captured but they were recovered. Only once did it
fail to take its objective and that was due largely to bungling by American headquarters support.
So by the end of the 369th Infantry's campaign in World War I they were present in the Champagne – Marne, Meuse –
Argonne, Champagne 1918, Alsace 1918 campaigns in which they suffered nearly 1,300 casualties the highest of any
US regiment.(Nelson 2009, pp. 203–4) The 369th also fought in distinguished battles such as Belleau Wood and
Chateau-Thierry.
