Military

Known simply as “William,’ Carney was born into slavery in Norfolk, Virginia on Leap Day of 1840. At a young age, Carney was able to attend a secret school where he could learn to read and write because it was illegal in Virginia to educate slaves. He was a slave to a man named Major Carney. When his owner died, he was emancipated and moved to Bedford, Massachusetts. His goal was to become a minister.

In 1863, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which paved the way for blacks in the north to join in the Civil War. Carney put aside his aspirations in the ministry to help free the slaves. He joined the 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry’s C Company. In the summer of 1863, they were sent to James Island, South Carolina.

On July 18, 1863, C Company saw its first action. After two days without much food or rest, the colored company made an assault on Fort Wagner in Charleston, South Carolina. The black regiment charged the enemy under a fail of cannon and rifle fire. At the head of the 54th Infantry was Sergeant John Wall carrying the American flag. Suddenly, Wall was shot and Carney dropped his rifle and grabbed the flag before it hit the ground. Carney began carrying the colors in place of Sergeant Wall. Then, Carney was hit in the leg, but he kept upright and continued to carry the flag. Somehow, Carney entered the fort and planted the flag at the entrance. But to Carney’s surprise, he was standing all alone because all of the men in the advance were shot dead. He stood at the fort for 30 minutes while shots flew above him toward the Union line.

When the confederate troops realized he was standing next to the fort with the Union flag, they advanced toward him. Carney wrapped the flag around the staff and and took off down an embankment into the water. He held the flag above his head so that it would not touch the water. Carney was shot in the chest, the right arm and in the right leg again. Still, Carney carried the flag away from the enemy until he could reach the Union line.

When he safely reached the Union line, a member of the 100th New York said that he would take the flag for Carney. Carney refused, saying, “No one but a member of the 54th should carry the colors.” The Union line began to retreat, and Carney continued to carry the flag. Suddenly, a bullet grazed his head, but Carney refused to fall. When Carney and the remaining men finally reached safety, he was met with cheers and congratulations. Before collapsing, he said, “Boys, I only did my duty… the flag never touched the ground.”

Carney was discharged from the Army because of the severity of his wounds. He was given no medal or citation after the war. He never became a minister. Instead, he became a mail carrier and a messenger. It was not until May 23, 1900 when Carney was award the nation’s highest award, the Medal of Honor. Despite many African-Americans serving with honor during the Civil War as well as numerous Indian campaigns, Sergeant Carney was the first to receive this honor. His service and his heroism made Carney a truly great American.

Benjamin Oliver Davis, Jr. was born in Washington, DC in 1912. He was the son of Benjamin O. Davis, Sr ., the first African-American General of the US Army. His mother died during childbirth in 1916. He lived much of the time with his grandparents in Washington while his father was overseas. When he was 13 years old, he experienced his first time in an airplane with a barnstorming pilot. This experience changed his life and he was determined to become a pilot for the Army.

His extended family moved around because of his father. He graduated high school in 1929 in Cleveland, Ohio and briefly attended Western Reserve University before transferring to the University of Chicago. While in college, he contacted Illinois Representative Oscar DePriest, the only black member of Congress, for an appointment to the US Military Academy in West Point, NY. He received his commission and attended for four years. He was the only black cadet in attendance and he was given the silent treatment by fellow cadets and was forced to live alone. Despite the harsh environment, he graduated 35th of 278 in 1936 to become only the fourth African-American to earn this achievement. When he received his commission as second lieutenant, he was one of only two African-Americans combat officers in the Army. The other was his father.

Despite being a West Point graduate, he was denied an assignment in a Air Corp squadron because he was black. He took an assignment in Georgia before being transferred to Tuskegee Institute to teacher like his father before him. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel while in Tuskegee. Finally, the Roosevelt Administration decided to create an all-black flying unit. Davis joined the first class of the Tuskegee Airmen and he finished his training in 1942. He became the first black officer to make a solo flight in an Army plane. He was assigned the commander of the 99th Pursuit Squadron and sent to Tunisia in north Africa to fly combat missions against the German-held territory and the allied invasion of Sicily.

In late 1943, Davis was recalled to Tuskegee to train more black units for combat. After World War II, he assumed the command of Godman Field in Kentucky and was in command of the 477th Composite Group. Davis attended the Air War College in Alabama and was stationed in Nevada and Washington, DC. He served as director of operations and training at the Far East Air Forces Headquarters during the Korean War. In 1960, he received his commission as the first African-American Air Force General at the rank of Brigadier General. He was assigned as the Director of Manpower and Organization. Eventually, he was assigned the command of the Thirteenth Air Force at Clark Air Base in the Philippines in 1967.

Davis retired from service in 1970. He earned the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, Army Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Force Commendation Medal. In 1998, President Bill Clinton advanced Davis to Four Star General. After his death in 2002, he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery just like his father. His service to his country and his sacrifice made General Davis a great American.

Benjamin Oliver Davis was born in Washington, DC in sometime between 1877 and 1880. He reported to the Army that he was born in 1877, but census records show it was in 1880. It is possible that he lied about his age in order to get into the Army. Davis attended the M Street School for Negro Students and attended some classes at Howard University. When he completed high school, he joined the Army against his parents wishes.

He joined the Eighth US Volunteer Infantry during the Spanish-American War in one of the original Buffalo Soldiers’ Units. He enlisted as a private and had to work his way up to a commission. He was the only man in his troop who could read and write. After the war in 1901, he was commissioned a second lieutenant. Because he was black, he was forced to move around a lot within the Army so that he would not take command of white troops. He was sent to the Philippines in 1901. In 1905, he was assigned as a professor of Military Science at Wilberforce University in Ohio. Afterward, he was detailed as a military attache to Monrovia, Liberia until 1912. When he returned to the United States, he was assigned to border patrol along the Mexican Border as well as teaching at Wilberforce University.

After World War I, he was assigned as a professor at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. The Army kept Davis on the move, going back to the Philippines and to Liberia as well as Europe. Eventually, he was transferred to Fort Riley, Kansas in January of 1941 as a brigade general with the 2nd Cavalry Division and then to Washington, DC as an assistant to the Inspector General. His promotion made him the first African-American general in the history of the United States Army.

When World War II broke out, Davis was assigned to the European Theater of Operations in September of 1942 as a special duty advisor on blacks soldiers. Throughout the war, he did inspections of black troops. When World War II ended, he became instrumental in the proposed policy of President Harry S Truman’s integration of the armed forces.

General Davis retired in 1948. After 50 years of service, retirement ceremony was presided over by President Truman. During his retirement, he served on the American Battle Monuments Commission. He received the Distinguished Service Cross, the Bronze Star and the French Croix de Guerre with Palm. He was honored by the United States Postal Service on a postage stamp in 1997. He is buried with honor at Arlington National Cemetery. General Davis was the first of many black generals in the military and his service to his country made him a great American.

Henry Ossian Flipper was born into slavery in 1856 near Thomasville, Georgia. He and his family were owned by a wealthy slave dealer. After the Civil War, Flipper attended Atlanta University. While he was a freshman at the university, Congressman James C. Freeman appointed Flipper to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point. When Flipper arrived at West Point, he found that he was one of four black students in the academy. All of them were persecuted and rejected by the student body. Flipper was the only black cadet that made it through the program and in 1877, he became the first African-American to graduate from the military academy.

After graduation, Flipper was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the cavalry. He was assigned to the 10th Cavalry Regiment, one of the four Buffalo Soldier regiments in the army. He became the first black officer to command regular troops in the US Army. He was assigned to the Indian Territory of present-day Oklahoma. There, he would command under Captain Nicholas M. Nolan. Nolan trained Flipper and gave him high marks for his command. However, many in the army tried to smear Flipper's reputation by suggesting that he was having a relationship with Captain Nolan's daughter, a white woman.

After serving for three years in Indian Territory, Flipper was transferred to Fort Davis in Texas in 1880. He became the quartermaster officer for the post. The next year, Fort Davis received a new commanding officer and he instantly dismissed Flipper from his duties because he was black. Flipper was later charged with stealing $3,791.77 from the commissary funds. Flipper was court-martialed and found not guilty of embezzlement but was found guilty of conduct unbecoming of an officer. He was dismissed from the Army.

After leaving the Army, Flipper began working as a civil engineer. He spent time in Mexico and became an expert on Spanish and Mexican land law. During this entire time, he continued to fight to restore his commission back into the Army. In 1898, he volunteered to serve in the Spanish-American War, but he was denied a position. He sent numerous letters to Congress, but his pleas were ignored. He served as an adviser to Senator Albert Fall of New Mexico on Mexican affairs. When Senator Fall was named Secretary of the Interior under President Warren G. Harding, Flipper was brought to Washington, DC to serve as his assistant.

After his time in Washington, Flipper worked in Venezuela as a petroleum engineer. He wrote numerous articles about science, engineering and the history of the American Southwest. He died in Atlanta, Georgia in 1940. His family continued to fight to have his name cleared. In 1976, the United States Army posthumously changed his discharge from the Army to "honorable." In 1999, President Bill Clinton granted Flipper a pardon from the charges against him in 1882. Today, Flipper is honored at the United States Military Academy as well as the Fort Davis National Historic Site for this service to his country. Flipper was a pioneer and great American.

John Robert Fox was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1915. He attended Wilberforce University, a historically black institution, in Ohio. While he was in school, Fox joined the campus ROTC, commanded by Aaron R. Fisher, an African-American recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross in World War I. Fox graduated in 1940 with a commission of second lieutenant in the United States Army.

Fox joined the US Army, 92nd Infantry Division, also known as the Buffalo Soldiers. He was sent to Europe to serve in the Cannon Company, 366th Infantry Regiment. His moment in history came on December 26, 1944 as a first lieutenant when he was stationed in the town of Sommocolonia, Italy.

On the morning of Christmas Day, 1944, German soldiers disguised as civilians had infiltrated the the town. By the next day, Sommocolonia was in enemy hands and the Germans began attacking the outnumbered US soldiers. Most of the Allied forces had pulled out of the town, but Fox and a few others remained behind to direct artillery fire toward the enemy in order to slow them down. However, realizing that this would not be enough, Fox calmly radioed the Fire Direction Command to strike on his position. His last words to the operator were, "There are hundreds of them coming... put everything you've got on my OP." The orders were solemnly followed and the strike was ordered. It allowed time for Allied forces to mount an offensive on the position days later. Fox''s body was recovered. It was also discovered that his strike order helped to kill over 100 enemy soldiers. Fox's sacrifice became legendary, but he received no honors from his country.

In 1982, the United States Congress posthumously awarded him the Distinguished Service Cross. In 1997, President Bill Clinton awarded him the Medal of Honor. The town of Sommocolonia never forgot the sacrifice of Fox. They erected a monument honoring his actions. His sacrifice to save the lives of his men made him a great American.

Michelle Janine Howard was born in 1960 to a retired U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant and his British wife. She graduated from Gateway High School in Aurora, Colorado with honors. After high school, she received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. She graduated from the academy in 1982.

Howard served on board the USS Hunley and the USS Lexington early in her Navy career. In 1987, she received the Secretary of the Navy/Navy League Captain Winifred Collins Award for outstanding leadership by a woman in the Navy. She then served as the Chief Engineer on board the USS Mount Hood, an ammunition vessel, during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm of the Persian Gulf War. She became First Lieutenant on board the ammunition ship USS Flint before becoming the Executive Officer of the USS Tortuga during Operation Joint Endeavor , operating in the Adriatic during the Bosnian conflict.

On March 19, 1999, Howard became the first African-American woman to command a ship, the USS Rushmore. She commanded an Amphibious Squadron as well as commanded operations for tsunami relief in Indonesia and North Arabian Gulf operations. In addition to her Navy duties overseas, Howard earned her M.A. in Military Arts and Sciences from the Army's Command and General Staff College in Leavenworth, Kansas.

Howard was assigned in 2009 to the CENTCOM theater where she commanded Task Force 151 in the effort to counter piracy in Africa. She worked as the executive assistant to the Joint Staff Director of Operations, a senior military assistant to the Secretary of the Navy, and Chief of Staff to the Director for Strategic Plans and Policy. In 2007, she became the first female graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy to earn the rank of Rear Admiral in the Navy. In 2010, she rose to the rank of two-star admiral and in 2012, she became three-star Vice Admiral. In December of 2013, she became the first-ever African-American woman to be nominated for the position of four-star admiral by President Barack Obama. This would place her in the position of Vice Chief of Naval Operations.

Howard is a groundbreaking woman in the military. She has won numerous awards for leadership and excellence. She is the recipient of four Navy Commendation medals, three Legion of Merit medals, two Defense Superior Service medals, and the Navy Distinguished Service medal. Howard's service to her country and her groundbreaking achievements have made her a great American.

James was born in Pensacola, Florida in 1920. After high school, he attended the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama and received a Bachelor's degree in physical education. While at the Institute, he completed a civilian pilot training program. When he finished his training, he stayed at Tuskegee as a civilian instructor until 1943, when he received his commission as a second lieutenant in the Army Air Corps. Throughout World War II, he trained pilots for the All-Colored 99th Pursuit Squadron.

In 1950, he went to Korea and flew in F-51 and F-80 Shooting Star aircraft during the Korean War. He flew 101 combat missions. After the war, he became a squadron commander at Otis Air Force Base in Massachusetts. Beginning in 1966, he flew 78 combat missions into North Vietnam. He led a flight in the Bolo MiG Sweep in which seven communist MiG-21's were destroyed. This was the highest total kill of any mission during the Vietnam War. After the war, he was named vice commander of the 33rd Tactical Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. He was also named commander of the 7272nd Fighter Training Wing in Libya.

During the 1970's, James was named Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs. He was then promoted to four-star grade and assigned as commander-in-chief, NORAD/ADCOM, Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado. With this promotion, he became the first African-American to reach the rank of four-star general.

General James a pioneer for African-Americans in the military. He was known for his speeches on Americanism and patriotism. He was awarded five honorary doctoral degrees of law. He is buried and honored at Arlington National Cemetery. His service to his country and his achievements to the community changed America. He was truly a great American.

William Henry Johnson was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in 1892. As a teenager, he moved to New York and held various jobs such as chauffeur, soda mixer and porter. On June 5, 1917, he in enlisted into the US Army and was assigned to the 369th Infantry Regiment, an all-black National Guard unit.

When the 369th Regiment, also known as the “Harlem Hellfighters,” arrived in France, they were “loaned” to the French Army as reinforcements. There is some speculation that this was done by General John Pershing in order to separate the black soldiers from the white American soldiers. His unit was stationed on the western edge of the Argonne Forest in France.

On the night of May 15, 1918, Johnson and fellow soldier Needham Roberts were on night sentry duty when they came under a surprise attack by a German raiding party of 12 soldiers. Both Roberts and Johnson were wounded in the attack. Johnson continued to defend their post despite being shot and stabbed in the face, side and arm. When Johnson’s rifle jammed, he used it as a club to fight off the German soldiers. When the Germans tried to grab Roberts, Johnson held them at bay with a bolo knife in hand-to-hand combat until reinforcements arrived. Johnson suffered 21 wounds during the fight and he earned the nickname “Black Death” for his bravery in combat.

The actions of Johnson spread throughout France and back in the United States. His actions were featured in the Saturday Evening Post in an article titled, “Young Black Joe.” When he returned to the United States, Johnson and his regiment received a victory parade on Fifth Avenue in New York City. He began a lecture tour about his experiences in France. Unfortunately, an arrest warrant was issued for Johnson for wearing his uniform beyond the date of his commission. His lecture tour was halted.

In 1927, he contracted tuberculosis and died two years later of myocarditis. Johnson was buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. The co-founder of the American Legion, Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., said that Johnson was one of the “five bravest Americans” to have served in the Great War. The French Government awarded him the Croix de Guerre with a bronze palm and a bronze star, the highest award given in France. In 1996, President Bill Clinton posthumously awarded him the Purple Heart. In 2003, he was given the Distinguished Service Cross and in 2015, President Barack Obama presented him, posthumously, with the Medal of Honor, for his service. Johnson’s bravery and courage in battle forever made him a Great American.

Hazel Johnson was born in Malvern, Pennsylvania. At an early age, she became interested in nursing while growing up on a farm near West Chester, Pennsylvania. After graduating high school, she applied to the West Chester School of Nursing in Pennsylvania, but was rejected due to her race. Instead, she went on to New York City to be trained as a nurse. She graduated from Harlem Hospital School of Nursing in 1953.

After nursing school, Johnson-Brown went to work at the Philadelphia Veteran's Hospital. She was urged by her colleagues to join the military, so in 1955, she decided to enter the US Army. Only a short time before, President Harry S Truman had banned segregation in the military and this seemed a good opportunity for her to excel. She was stationed as a staff nurse in Japan and chief nurse in South Korea. While in the army, she earned her Bachelor's Degree from Villanova University in 1959 and her Master's Degree from Columbia University.

In 1960, Johnson was transferred to Walter Reed Army Medical Center outside of Washington, DC. There, she was a staff and operating room nurse. In 1963, she began work as an instructor at three different hospitals. In the early 1970's, she developed new sterilizing methods for Army Field Hospitals. She became a staff member of the Army Medical Research and Development Command. It was also during this time that Johnson earned a Doctorate in Educational Administration from Catholic University in Washington, DC. In 1974, she was promoted to Colonel and made the director of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Nursing, and extension of the University of Maryland's nursing school. In 1978, Johnson returned to South Korea to become chief of the Department of Nursing at the largest Army hospital in that country.

In May of 1979, Johnson was promoted to brigadier general and became the head of the Army Nurse Corps, the first African-American female to be elevated to this rank. In this position, she commanded 7,000 male and female nurses in the Army National Guard and Army Reserves. She oversaw eight Army medical centers, 56 community hospitals and 143 freestanding clinics in six different countries. In addition, she was the Associate Dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Maryland. She met and married David Brown in 1981 and then retired from the military in 1983.

Johnson-Brown began a second career as a teacher. She served as a professor of nursing at Georgetown University in Washington, DC and at George Mason University in Virginia. While at George Mason, she founded the Center for Health Policy. The center's purpose was to educated nurses in health policy and policy design. She became an honorary member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

In her life and career, Johnson-Brown earned honorary degrees from Morgan State University, Villanova University, and the University of Maryland. While in the Army, she was awarded with the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal and the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Cluster. She was twice named the Army Nurse of the Year. She had a tremendous impact in academia, educating hundreds of nurses and health service professionals. Her service to her country coupled with her devotion to the care of others made her a great American.

Mark Matthews was born in Greenville, Alabama in 1894. While he was a child, his family moved to Mansfield, Ohio. Matthews grew up riding horses. As a young man, he delivered newspapers riding a horse. He had various jobs working in stables. He became intrigued with the all-African-American regiment called the Buffalo Soldiers when he met them for the first time at a racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky.

At the age of 15, Matthews forged documents to show that he was 17 years old and joined the Army in Columbus, Ohio. After basic training, he was sent to the Arizona Territory and distinguished himself as a marksman. In 1916, he was assigned to the the Mexican campaign to capture Mexican revolutionary leader Pancho Villa with General John “Black Jack” Pershing.

When the United States entered World War I, cavalry was not sent to Europe, so Matthews stayed in the United States. He met his wife of 50 years, Genevieve in 1929. They were stationed at Fort Myer in Virginia in 1931. He was assigned to escort King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of England when they visited the White House. He was in charge of the presidential stable of horses and played on the polo team. He personally tended to Eleanor Roosevelts horses while she was First Lady. He helped to sell war bonds during World War II. He was a member of the drum and bugle corps and played at burial ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery. Because he was black, he was not allowed to be seen at white burials, so Matthews would hide in the woods to play taps. Matthews was sent to the Pacific theatre and fought in the Battle of Saipan. He earned the rank of 1st Sergeant before retiring from the Army.

After his service in the Army, Matthews became the chief security guard at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. He worked there until his retirement in 1970. He spoke about his adventures as a Buffalo Soldier and gained a following. In 1994, he was invited to the White House to meet with President Bill Clinton. Matthews and Clinton commemorated the Buffalo Soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery while he was 103 years old. In 2002, he commemorated a monument to the Buffalo Soldiers at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. He passed away at the age of 111 as the oldest living Buffalo Soldier. His life and his service to his country made Matthews a great American.

Known as "Dorie" to his shipmates, Doris Miller was born in Waco, Texas in 1919. He worked on his family farm and was a standout football player in his high school. Because of his temper, he was known as "Raging Bull." He was expelled from high school before graduating because he got into a fight with someone who insulted him because of his race.

Miller did odd jobs, studied taxidermy, and worked on his farm. He applied to join the Civilian Conservation Corps, but was denied. He grew in his late teens to stand 6'3" and weighed over 200 pounds. Just before he turned 20, Miller enlisted in the United States Navy and became a Mess Attendant, Third Class. It was one of the few positions open to African Americans. After his training in Norfolk, Virginia, he was assigned to USS Pyro. In 1940, he was transferred to the Battleship USS West Virginia in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. While there, he had some temporary training at the Secondary Battery Gunnery School. He was promoted to Ship's Cook, Third Class.

On the morning of December 7, 1941, after performing his regular duties in the ship's mess, the USS West Virginia was hit by nine torpedoes in the Japanese attack. Miller was ordered to the bridge to help rescue the captain. The captain refused to leave the bridge during the attack, so Miller left and went to one of the unmanned Browning .50 caliber anti-aircraft machine guns. After a couple of other sailors showed him how to load and fire the weapon, Miller began firing on the enemy planes. Miller fired until he was out of ammunition. He then ran to the quarterdeck to help move injured sailors, saving many of their lives. The USS West Virginia sank in the harbor. Miller and the others abandoned ship.

In January of 1942, the NAACP urged President Franklin D. Roosevelt to award Miller with the Distinguished Service Cross. Members of Congress introduced bills to have Miller awarded with the Medal of Honor. There was even a write-in campaign to send Miller to the United States Naval Academy. He received none of these accolades. Instead, he was presented by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz with the Navy Cross, the third-highest award for gallantry during combat.

Miller became a national hero to African-Americans across the nation. He returned to the United States to participate in war bond tours. After his tour and speeches across the country, he returned to duty on board the USS Liscome Bay as a Ship's Cook Third Class. In 1944, his ship took part in the Battle of Makin Island. His ship was struck and his body was never found.

Today, "Dorie" Miller is considered a national hero. He was awarded the Purple Heart and the American Defense Service Medal for his involvement in the Battle of Makin Island. In 1973, the United States Navy commissioned the USS Miller in honor of Doris Miller. Numerous schools, streets and public buildings across the country are named after him. He was portrayed by Cuba Gooding, Jr. in the 2001 movie "Pearl Harbor." In 2010, his image was featured as one of four Distinguished Sailors in American history. His actions and heroism during World War II were above the call of duty. Doris Miller will forever be a great American.

Colin Powell was born in 1937 in Harlem, New York City to Jamaican immigrants. Powell was an average student in high school as he grew up in the Bronx. After high school, he attended City College of New York and graduated with a degree in geology in 1958. While he was in college, he participated in the ROTC program. He became commander of his unit's precision drill team. He finished the program with the rank of cadet colonel, the highest rank in the corps. After college, he received a commission as an army second lieutenant in 1958.

After his marriage to Alma Vivian Johnson in 1962, Powell was sent to Vietnam as one of the first wave of 16,000 military advisers organized by President John F. Kennedy. In 1963, Lieutenant Powell was wounded by a punji-stick booby trap and was awarded the Purple Heart. In his second tour of duty in Vietnam, Powell was involved in a helicopter crash and managed to save several of his fellow soldiers from being burned to death. In all, Powell received 11 decorations, including the Legion of Merit medal.

After Vietnam, Powell earned his MBA from George Washington University. He was promoted to major and he won a White House fellowship. He was assigned to the Office of Management and Budget under President Richard Nixon. He made an impression on the Office Director Caspar Weinberger, who would become the future Secretary of Defense. After his time at the White House, Powell served in Korea and the Pentagon. He studied at the Army War College and was promoted to Brigadier General during the Carter Administration. During the Reagan Administration, he became the senior military assistant to Secretary of Defense Weinberger. He became involved in decisions regarding the Grenada Invasion of 1983 as well as the Libyan Air Strikes of 1986. Eventually, Powell rose through the ranks to become the National Security Adviser to President Reagan. He was the first African-American ever to serve at this post.

In 1989, Powell rose to the rank of four-star general under President George H.W. Bush. He became the first African-American to be the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest military position. During this time, he oversaw operations for the invasion of Panama as well as the Persian Gulf War. When Bill Clinton became president, Colin Powell retired from the military to go into private life.

In the 1990s, Powell became involved in negotiations with the military rulers of Haiti to give up power to a civilian government. Powell also decided to get involved in politics. In 1995, Powell announced that he was registering as a Republican. Many believed that he would run for President. He spoke at the 1996 Republican Convention, but declined to seek public office.

In 2001, President George W. Bush asked Powell to be his Secretary of State. Powell accepted and he became the first African-American to hold the highest diplomatic office in the nation. He was involved in diplomatic efforts after the attacks of 9/11 and was instrumental in gaining international support for an invasion of Afghanistan. Powell was also instrumental in convincing Congress to invade Iraq in 2003. However, by 2004, Powell decided to step down from the position. In 2008, he announced his support for Democratic candidate Barack Obama for President.

Colin Powell is the highest ranking African-American military officer in the history of the United States. He also became the highest African-American diplomat in American history. Powell has won numerous awards throughout his years in both public and private life. Powell continues to speak on social and political issues throughout the world. Colin Powell has proved to be a great American.

Clarence Eugene Sasser was born in Chenango, Texas in 1947. After high school, Sasser attended the University of Houston as a chemistry major, but was forced to drop out due to lack of funds. Sasser was then drafted into the US Army and served as a combat medic during the Vietnam War.

On January 10, 1968, Sasser’s company was flown into the Mekong Delta to check out reports of enemy forces in the area. When his helicopters landed in a rice paddy, the landing zone was hit by rocket and gun fire. The lead helicopter was hit and crashed. Sasser left his helicopter and crawled through the water trying to get to safety. He found a wounded soldier and tried to drag him to safety. It was then that Sasser was hit by flying shrapnel, but was able to get the wounded soldier to a safe place. He then went back into the rice paddy to aid more wounded soldiers when he was hit in both legs by machine-gun fire. Using his arms, he was able to pull himself through the mud to a wounded soldier. Johnson called out for help and treated the soldier despite being wounded himself. Afterwards, he helped several American soldiers get to safety through enemy fire. For the next five hours, Sasser treated the wounded until US forces were able to reach Johnson’s position for evacuation. In all, 34 died and 59 were wounded in the attack.

After several months of rehabilitation at an American base in Japan, Sasser learned that he was honored with the Medal of Honor from President Richard Nixon, the highest honor bestowed upon a serviceman. After his tour of duty in Vietnam, Sasser finished college with a degree in chemistry. He worked at an oil refinery for several years before taking a job at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Today, a statue of Sasser stands in front of the Brazoria County Courthouse in Texas. His bravery and gallantry during the Vietnam War made him a Great American.

Cathay Williams was born near Independence, Missouri in 1842. Her father was a free black man, but because her mother was a slave, she too was a slave. At an early age, she moved to Jefferson City, Missouri and was a house-girl for her owner, William Johnson. When her master died, the Civil War broke out and she was forced to enlist in the Union army as a cook. When she turned 17, she was forced to join the Eighth Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment. She was present at the Battle of Pea Ridge and the Red River Campaign. By the end of the war, she was serving at Jefferson Barracks outside St. Louis, Missouri.

Jobs were scarce for black females after the war. Desperate for a means of income, she passed as a man and enlisted in the US Army in 1866. She went by the name of "William Cathay." While she was posted in New Mexico, she contracted smallpox. A doctor discovered her true identity and she was forced to leave the Army in 1868. She tried to draw her army pension, but was denied. She left to work as a cook in Fort Union, New Mexico and later Trinidad, Colorado. She became a seamstress and ran a boarding house. In 1876, a reporter ran a story in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about her life.

Little is known about her life after moving to Trinidad, Colorado. She tried, again, to receive an army pension in 1891, but it was denied. She disappeared after 1892. Today, she has been inducted into the National Multicultural Western Heritage Hall of Fame as a great cowboy of color. She served her country in time of war and in the aftermath. She became the first and only female buffalo soldier in American history. Her service made her a great American.