In Honor of a Buffalo Soldier

As PROUD is about to open in theaters and on the day Mason veteran Lorenzo DuFau will be honored at the Navy Memorial, take a minute to read this story from today's Washington Post.

Mark Matthews, believed to be the oldest of the remaining Buffalo Soliders, was laid to rest yesterday at Arlington National Cemetary with full military honors.

African American men became Buffalo Soldiers for the same familiar reasons they participated in the American Revolution, the US Civil War, World War I and II. A sense of patriotic duty, a feeling that military service would create opportunity, a desire to show the ability to do any job any white soldier or sailor could do. A chance to get away from the fields or small segregated towns.

These are our American heroes. They did everything that was required for no recognition ... or terrribly belated recognition ... even to this day.