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Did you know
- TriviaWhen director William Miles was a member of a National Guard unit in Harlem, he came across on a storage room with flags, helmets, photos, and other relics of the 369th Regiment. He searched the National Archives, finding well-preserved film footage of the regiment. He tracked down living members of the unit by walking down the streets of Harlem and asking groups of elderly residents if they knew anyone who served in the regiment.
Featured review
First-class documentary on African-Americans in WWI
First-class documentary on World War I's 369th Infantry Regiment (originally the 15th New York), also known as the Harlem Hellfighters and the Rattlesnake Regiment. They fought the the racism of the Army establishment from the earliest formation of the unit, through training (at a camp in Spartanburg, SC) and then posting to France, where they were initially given menial tasks such as stevedores and porters. Eventually they were assigned to fight under command of the French, who had no prejudice against black soldiers fighting alongside whites, and the 369th became the most decorated American unit in WWI. Their regimental band also became world-famous under the leadership of James Reese Europe, whose music and career were featured in Ken Burns' JAZZ. Europe and the Hellfighters Band are often credited with introducing jazz to Europe.
helpful•61
- pfdocwilson
- Apr 26, 2001
Details
- Runtime1 hour
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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