369th Infantry Regiment Memorial

The 369th Infantry Regiment, known as the Harlem Hellfighters, emerged from the 15th New York (Colored) Infantry Regiment established by New York in 1913 and entered Federal service in 1917 before going to France that December among the first 100,000 troops of the American Expeditionary Force. During World War I, when United States Armed Forces remained segregated by race, the regiment served as an integral part of the Fourth French Army and fought on the front until the Armistice, showing exceptional bravery during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive and especially on September 29, 1918, in the liberation of Sechault, where a third of the regiment suffered casualties. For their heroism, 171 members received the Croix de Guerre and one officer, 1st Lt. George Seanor Robb of Kansas, received the Medal of Honor. Upon returning to the United States, the Harlem Hellfighters were honored with a parade up Fifth Avenue. The regiment later distinguished itself at Okinawa in World War II and went on to serve in the Korean and Gulf Wars, and the unit serves today as a sustainment brigade. Across the street stands the 369th Armory, built between 1921 and 1933, one of the last armories erected in New York City, combining medieval and art deco influences and still housing the 369th Sustainment Brigade along with historical exhibits and a recreation center.

New York, New York · United States