World War II ‘Buffalo Soldier’ Buried with Honors

CREST HAVEN – In wind-swept Cape May County Veterans Cemetery, a World War II, U.S. Army veteran, George H. Watkins, who wore the revered Buffalo patch as a member of the 92nd Infantry Division and 317th Combat Engineers Battalion, was laid to rest March 22 with military honors.
Standing close to his family and friends by the flag-draped casket was a contingent from Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club of Southern N.J. Two of them escorted the hearse and others rode in tribute to a man they honored as one of their own.
They joined mourners as Pastor George Thompson, pastor; First Baptist Church of Whitesboro committed the 95-year-old to his grave, in sure and certain hope of resurrection.
The 92nd Buffalo Infantry Division was reactivated in 1942, staffed by African Americans, both enlisted and junior officers, although commanded by white officers.
According to the website of the Buffalo Division’s World War II Association:
“The 92nd Infantry Division was a part of the 5th Army that served in the Italian Theater during World War II. It was also the only infantry unit comprised entirely of African Americans, or, as they were referred to at the time – Colored Troops, to see combat in Europe.
During their time in Italy, from August of 1944 through the end of the war in May 1945, the 92nd advanced more than 3,000 square miles and captured more than 20,000 German prisoners. They also suffered heavy casualties – with more than a quarter of the unit killed or wounded in action. For their Deeds the 92nd earned more than 12,000 decorations and citations – including two Medals of Honor.”
In recognition of Watkins’s military service, Army representatives from the 99th Regional Support Command at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, Capt. Gavin Furbert and Staff Sgt. Jamilah Ruiz, played “Taps” then slowly removed the flag from the coffin and carefully and smartly tri-folded the flag.
In military tradition, Ruiz presented the folded flag first to Furbert who then presented it to the family “On behalf of the President of the United States, the U.S. Army and a grateful nation” and with other comforting words to them for the service to the country of their father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
According to his obituary from Radzieta Funeral home, which was entrusted with the service, Watkins, formerly of Whitesboro, passed away March 17, 2014. Born in Philadelphia to Howard and Martha Watkins, he moved to this area in 1977 and moved to Florida two years ago.
He was an involved and dedicated member of First Baptist Church in Whitesboro. A viewing and funeral service took place at the church earlier March 22.
He is survived by his children: Lana A. of Philadelphia, George Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla., Rev. Donald E. of Court House, Jesse E. of Trenton, and Wanda A. of Jacksonville, Fla.; as well as 19 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren.
The importance of Buffalo soldiers was highlighted in World War II magazine, June 12, 2006 in a story by Robert Hodges Jr. “African Americans have fought in every major conflict in which the United States has been involved, from the Revolutionary War on. They frequently served with distinction–the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry during the American Civil War, the 9th and 10th U.S. Colored Cavalry regiments during the Indian wars and the Spanish-American War, and the 369th Infantry Regiment during World War I all established outstanding fighting records.
“Yet with each new war in which the United States became embroiled, the white American establishment tended to forget the contribution made by black servicemen in previous conflicts. Each time, black soldiers were committed to combat in racially segregated units and had to prove themselves all over again. Of the 909,000 black Americans selected for duty in the Army during World War II, only one black division saw infantry combat in Europe–the 92nd Infantry Division. The vast majority of African Americans in uniform were assigned to segregated construction or supply units or placed in units that performed unpleasant duties such as graves registration. The government’s view was that blacks were not motivated enough or aggressive enough to fight.
“While the 92nd was referred to as a black unit, and its enlisted men and most of its junior officers were black, its higher officers were white. The 92nd, which had fought in France during World War I, was once again activated in 1942. Under the command of Maj. Gen. Edward M. Almond, the 92nd began combat training in October 1942 and went into action in Italy in the summer of 1944. The unit continued a long and proud tradition by retaining the buffalo as its divisional symbol. Its circular shoulder patch, which featured a black buffalo on an olive drab background, was called The Buffalo–as was the division’s official publication. The 92nd even kept a live buffalo as a mascot.
“The nickname ‘Buffalo Soldier’ dates back to the late 1860s, when black soldiers volunteered for duty in the American West. The American Indians, who regarded the new threat as ‘black white men,’ coined the term ‘Buffalo Soldier’ out of respect for a worthy enemy. According to one story, the Indians thought that the black soldiers, with their dark skin and curly hair, resembled buffaloes. Another story attributes the name to the buffalo hides that many black soldiers wore during the harsh winters out West, as a supplement to their inadequate government uniforms.”