Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 12-25-18

Feature
10th Cavalry Regiment Buffalo Soldiers Member Honored
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
In 1940, Mr. Elmer Sublett enlisted in the U. S. Army at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He was assigned to and became a member of the 10th Cavalry Regiment, the legendary Buffalo Soldiers.
The Buffalo Soldiers was a segregated military unit that came into existence in 1866, with the formation of the 9th Cavalry, the 10th Cav- alry, the 24th Infantry and the 25th Infantry Regiments. Al- though several African American regiments were created during the Civil War, the Buffalo Soldiers were the first African American mili- tary unit established by Con- gress as the first peacemaker all-Black regiments in the regular U. S. Army.
On December 8th, mem- bers of the Tampa Bay Chap- ter of the National Association of Buffalo Sol- diers & Troopers Motorcycle Club rode their motorcycles to Valrico to visit Mr. Sub- lett. His daughters, Ms. Veronica Morales and Ms. Nina Williams worked with Roy “Sea- wolf” Nixon, past National President, to make the event possible.
Mr. Sublett was recog- nized for his life of service to the mission and legacy to the Buffalo Soldiers. The Chap- ter President, Ms. Karen “Top6” Chambers, along with members on 18 motor- cycles roared in to show their respect and admiration for this 98-year-old“original” Buffalo Soldier.
She explained that the military record of the compa- nies and soldiers assigned to the 10th Cavalry regiment, starting in 1866, and on- ward, are recognized as one of the premier fighting units of the U. S. Army.
Members of the Tampa Bay Chapter of the National Association of Buffalo Soldiers & Troopers Motorcycle Club shown with Mr. Elmer Sublett are: Roy “Seawolf” Nixon, Mr. Sublett, the honoree, and Karen “Top6” Chambers.
Members of the Tampa Bay Chapter of the National Association of Buffalo Soldiers & Troopers Motorcycle Club on hand to pay tribute to Mr. Elmer Sublett (honoree on the front row) are from left to right: Alvin "Slim" Finlay, Spellman "Swanny" LeBlanc, Jr., Sheldon "Capone" Bing, Marcus "Stealth" Wilson, Daren "Ranger" Robinson, Neil "Blaq Chief" Crumity, Thaddeus "Doc" Speed, Roy "Seawolf" Nixon, Tony "8Count" Moore, Destiny "InNOcent" Grooms, Antonio "KuntreBoi" Bryant, Anthony "D-Block" Williams, Karen "Top6" Cham- bers, Benjamin "Big MC" McBride, Stacy "Blacq Barbie" Hines, and Cynthia "Roadrunner" Nixon.
She stated, “Mr. Sublett and so many others prepared the solid foundation for the African-American soldiers
and military members that followed in their footsteps.
“The exemplary service of the 10th Cavalry Regiment was instrumental in dis- pelling myths and stereo- types about the fighting ability of African American soldiers and paved the way for what is now a fully inte- grated military.”
After discharge from the active military, Mr. Sublett affiliated with the National Buffalo Soldiers 9th and 10th (Horse) Cavalry Association in Kansas City, KS, where he was active in many chapter presentations and school vis- its educating the public on the rich histories of these two cavalry regiments.
Mr. Sublett supported fundraising, construction,
Thaddeus "Doc" Speed, Benjamin “Big MC” McBride, and Shel- don "Capone" Bing posed for a photograph with Mr. Elmer Sublett.
and the dedication of the Buffalo Soldier Statue at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, in 1992 and was present for the dedication of the Buffalo Sol- dier stamp by the U. S. Postal Service on April 22, 1994.
During the ceremony, Mr. Sublett was presented a Letter of Appreciation from Mayor Bob Buckhorn, City of Tampa, a Certificate of Appreciation from the Texas Buffalo Soldiers Al- liance, a Letter of Apprecia- tion from the NABSTMC
Tampa Bay Chapter and a plaque from Ken “Dream Maker” Thomas, Founder of the National Association of Buffalo Soldiers and Troopers Motorcycle Club.
Mr. Sublett was very appreciative of the many honors, attention, and well- wishes.
Terrance “T-Bone” Ward, and Destiny “In- NOcent” Grooms were also instrumental in making the day special for Mr. Sub- lett.
PAGE 4 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2018