Edited by Gerald Boerner
Commentary:
We love to hear stories of the heroic acts of soldiers on the field of battle. We believe in the recognition of such acts so much that our Congress created the Medal of Honor. Sgt. William Harvey Carney was the first African American soldier to earn this honor during the Civil War; he actually the twenty-first to receive it (posthumously). He bravely retrieved the Union Banner from the Confederates during the Second Battle of Fort Wagner in 1863.
This award is significant due to the general reluctance of the North to allow African Americans to serve as soldiers. The 54th Massachusetts unit became the home for those who did serve and the record of this unit is noteworthy.
“The Medal of Honor is one of two military neck order awards issued by the United States and is the sole neck order awarded to members of the armed forces. As the award citation includes the phrase "in the name of Congress", it is sometimes erroneously called the Congressional Medal of Honor…” (Wikipedia)
It’s time to get on with today’s exploration of the heroics of the African American soldiers in th 54th Massachusetts Regiment during the Battle for Fort Wagner… GLB
These Introductory Comments are copyrighted:
Copyright©2011 — Gerald Boerner — All Rights Reserved[ 1974 Words ]
Quotations Related to HEROES:
“The heroes of the present will retreat to the imitation they are anyhow.”
— Charles Olson
“The law has no power over heroes.”
— Charlotte Lennox
“The real heroes were my good buddies who died during the battles.”
— Ira Hayes