Decades of Duty

IIn 1881, the first Buffalo Soldiers arrived in Arizona pursuing elusive Apaches. Over the following decades, African Americans from the Tenth U.S. Cavalry and Twenty-Fourth and Twenty-Fifth Infantry added to the laurels won by the Ninth U.S. Cavalrymen. For more than six decades, Black soldiers served with honor, from campaigns against determined Native Americans to facing dangers along the turbulent border as the Mexican Revolution raged. During the dark days of World War II, they prepared for combat against foes both abroad and at home. All the while, they faced an ever-present, persistent enemy: racism.

Author John P. Langellier brings to life the rich history of Buffalo Soldiers in the Copper State.

John P. Langellier received his bachelor of arts and master of arts degrees from the University of San Diego and a doctorate degree from Kansas State University, with a concentration on U.S. military history. His career spans more than five decades in various public history positions. He has written, cowritten and edited scores of articles and dozens of books and monographs. He also has worked in motion picture and TV productions, leads military history tours and frequently appears as a public speaker on an array of historical topics.