It’s never too late to reflect on the history of our country or the history of our Soldiers.

Rather, it’s prudent of organizations to constantly reflect on their past and continuously learn from and measure themselves against it.

“Buffalo Soldier” was the name given to black Soldiers serving the U.S. shortly after emancipation. It was not a term of endearment; rather it was a comparison made between their hair and the wooly mane of a buffalo, bestowed by white Soldiers who were, for the first time, coping with the challenges of accepting the new phenomenon of emancipation and groping to maintain some semblance of superiority over a people they had grown up dominating.

As travelers blaze along Highway 160 in southern Colorado, they pass through a small municipality known as Fort Garland. Easily overlooked, this small fort was one of the first sites of professional integration between independent whites and blacks as the 9th Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers were stationed there with several infantry units.

Military returns and reports indicate that these 9th Cavalry Soldiers had exemplary service records, and several of the Buffalo Soldiers serving at Fort Garland each received a Medal of Honor for their actions during the Indian Wars. Little is known or written about how these integrated Soldiers interacted with one another, but one can imagine it was an intense process of acceptance on the part of both groups.

An intense situation and strong sense of duty may sometimes, at least temporarily, put these strains of society on hold. One such situation has become known as the Milk Creek Battle of 1879, in which strains between white settlers and Indians in western Colorado became so escalated that military assistance was required.

When a small patrol from Fort Steele was ambushed by a much larger force of seemingly peaceful Ute Indians, the patrol circled the wagons and was pinned down for a week. The first to arrive and provide assistance were these Buffalo Soldiers from the 9th Cavalry, who were able to sustain the fight until a much larger military force arrived. The patrol from Fort Steele was eternally grateful and owed their survival to the 9th Cavalry professionals.

Another interesting event occurred in Colorado in early 1880 when a family was traveling through a snowy Chocetopa Pass and their sleigh was upset. Their horses free to run, the family was left in the snowy pass with a very small chance of survival. As the horses happened to sprint past a military camp near the summit, several Buffalo Soldiers followed the tracks, which was strewn with children’s clothing and family supplies, back to the family and all were rescued.

Though the 9th Cavalry were not Colorado National Guard Soldiers, they did protect Colorado and assumed missions whenever called upon, excelling in every case. These Buffalo Soldiers exemplify the military heritage of Colorado and are a compelling unit for research in military professionalism.