Buffalo Soldier Heritage Plaza

The Buffalo Soldier Heritage Plaza Board and the Lawton/Fort Sill Chapter, 9th and 10th (Horse) Cavalry Association has joined in a partnership to keep Oklahoma’s commitment to keep the history of the Buffalo Soldiers alive.
            The Buffalo Soldier Heritage Plaza in Lawton, Oklahoma is located in the Gore Boulevard median between 2nd and 3rd Streets.  The Plaza will be dedicated before the end of 2008.  A bronze Buffalo Soldier statue will be added and dedicated before the end of 2009.
            The bronze statue represents a Buffalo Soldier during the period 1866-1890 when the Buffalo Soldiers performed duty in the mid-western states and protected the nation on the plains.  The uniform and equipment reflects the theme of the statue  “Answering the Call”.  The statue depicts the soldier facing the flag.

The Buffalo Soldier Story
African Americans, by law, were not permitted to serve in the Regular U.S. Peacetime Army until 28 July 1866. Congress then authorized the formation of six black regiments--four infantry and two cavalry. Prior to that time, they were permitted to serve only in the state militias.
Operating under the harshest conditions and with the worst horses and equipment in the military, the Buffalo Soldiers had the lowest desertion rate of any unit in the U.S. Army and at least 20 men earned the Congressional Medal of Honor. In addition, they received four campaign citations in the Indian Wars; campaign citations for action in the Spanish-American War, the Philippine Insurrection and the Mexican Expedition.