Harlem Hellfighters Honored with Congressional Gold Medal for WWI Service

WWI Heroism and Recognition

• 🎖️ The Harlem Hellfighters, an all-black unit in World War I, are being honored for their unmatched courage and service.
• 🗓️ They served 191 days in continuous combat, more than any other American unit during the war.

Overcoming Adversity and Discrimination

• 😔 Despite their bravery, the Hellfighters were largely forgotten upon their return home, with many facing poverty and lacking medical services.
• ✊ They endured persistent persecution and discrimination within the military ranks.
• 🇺🇸 They swore an oath to defend the Constitution and upheld it with their lives, even when America did not reciprocate their love.

National Honors and Legacy

• 🏅 In Washington D.C., the Harlem Hellfighters were posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, one of the nation's highest honors.
• 🕊️ A wreath-laying ceremony in Mount Vernon honored Corporal Morris Link, a resident who fought and died with the unit in World War I.
• ✨ The recognition is seen as fitting and long overdue, ensuring their courage and patriotism will be remembered forever.