The Harlem Hellfighters

The Harlem Hellfighters

The Apple Seed

  • Nov 11, 2015 7:00 pm
  • 55:40 mins

Today, we’d like to focus on the remarkable story of the 369th Infantry Regiment, an infantry regiment of the United States Army National Guard that saw action in World War I and World War II that consisted of African-Americans and African Puerto Ricans. The 369th Regiment was known for being the first African-American regiment to serve with the American Expeditionary Force during World War I. The regiment was nicknamed the Harlem Hellfighters, the Black Rattlers and the Men of Bronze. The nickname "Hell Fighters" was given to them by the Germans due to their toughness: the Hellfighters never lost a man to capture and never lost a trench or a foot of ground to the enemy. The Hell Fighters faced insurmountable odds as they were subject to racism, segregation during and after their service in World War I. The incredible story of the first all black regiment to serve in World War I, and one of the first American regiments to serve in during World War I, had fallen under the radar until the last two decades. One man who is eager to highlight the story of the Harlem Hellfighters is writer, Max Brooks. You might recognize the name Max Brooks in relation to his popular zombie stories and various screenwriting and voice acting credits; however, he is also the author of the recent 2014 graphic novel, The Harlem Hellfighters, a fictionalized account of the 369th Infantry Regiment, illustrated by Canaan White. He recently joined our assistant producer, Sam Bennion, for a conversation about the story of The Harlem Hellfighters. Read more about The Harlem Hellfighters here: en.wikipedia.org/369th_Infantry_Regiment\_(United_States) Read more about Max Brooks here: maxbrooks.com Read more about the graphic novel, written by Max Brooks and illustrated by Canaan White, here: en.wikipedia.org/The_Harlem_Hellfighters Above: Members of The 369th Infantry Regiment Arrive Home on US Soil. Courtesy of WikiCommons \_\_(x) \*Correction: In the first segment of this episode, Sam Payne refers to a speech by "Norman D. Baker." The speaker is Newton Baker, the US Secretary of War from 1916-1921.