Presentation of Historical Trail Medal

Left to right. Ron P.Muriera, David Owono,Cathleen King, Kevin Craig

The play was an outstanding thought provoking study of the internal conflict of the Buffalo Soldier in the Philippines struggling with their own issues of racism honor,duty and what is right. It was truly a moving performance very powerful and interspersed with historical facts about the Buffalo Soldiers in America, (their duty in the National Parks and their role in saving Theodore Roosevelt’s Life were mentioned).

We, (The LBBSA) met the Executive Director of the San Jose Stage Company, Ms. Cathleen King and the Administrator of the Filipino American National Historical Society Santa Clara Valley Chapter Mr.Ron P. Muriera and told them about our efforts to make the trail that the 9th Cav and 24th Infantry used to get from the Presidio of San Francisco and the Presidio of Monterrey to Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks recognized as a National Historical Trail and presented Ms. King with a rare Historical Trail Medal that was designed and created by members of the LBBSA and Mr. Troy Thorenson of Los Banos a Nationally recognized Coin expert.

On August 24-26 2012 the Los Banos Buffalo Soldiers Association, (LBBSA) will be providing a Camping trip to Yosemite National Park.

All fees have been waived for our Organization in return, Captain Ofwono will be providing a presentation to Park visitors about who the LBBSA is and our efforts to make the trail that the Buffalo Soldiers used from the Presidio of San Francisco to Sequoia and Yosemite National Park’s a California historical trail. We will be welcomed by Park officials including Ranger Shelton Johnson, the premier interpretive Buffalo Soldier Ranger in the U.S. Mr. Johnson hosted Oprah Winfrey when she visited the park recently.

Members of the public who are interested in joining us should send their requests to.
info@losbanosbuffalosoldiers.org

THERE ARE NO MORE VACANCIES FOR THE PRESIDIO TRIP! We are accepting reservations for next year. There are only a few slots open for the Yosemite trip.

As many of you know we have been working with Crankin’ Time Cycling www.crankintimecycling.com who are staunch supporters of the promotion of Buffalo Soldier history and stage world class rides from Allensworth’s ( a town founded by Colonel Allensworth a Buffalo soldier) to mark the Anniversary of the date when the 9th under the leadership of then Captain Charles Young departed the Presidio of San Francisco heading to Yosemite and Sequoia national parks to serve as guardians of the newly created parks.

The Bicycle Club is working on the logistics and other issues and anticipates that they will be ready sometime in August 2012.

We will keep you posted. “we can we will and Ready Forward!”

Please join us on May 18 2012 at 2pm at the Los Banos Junior High School where we will be presenting the winners of the essay contest with their prizes.

The Mayor of Los Banos will be presenting the awards. A panel of four judges selected the winners which was no easy task due to over 35 excellent essay’s submitted.

many of you are wondering why a contest launched during black history month, (February) is not having the awards until May. This is because we work with the Teachers and due to where they are in their curriculum they are not able to introduce Buffalo Soldier history to the Students and have them participate in the Essay contest until the last part of February and we have to schedule a date for the awards that is compatible with the School’s activities.

McAdoo was born in Anderson County in Tennessee and enlisted in the army in 1878 at the age of 23. From records obtained from the historian at Fort Davis National Historic Site (TX) we know that McAdoo was 5’ 8” tall with “black hair and a black complexion.” His occupation upon enlistment was “laborer.”

Private McAdoo served three five-year enlistments with the Twenty-Fourth U.S. Infantry mostly on garrison duty and spent time in Companies E, H, and I. During his career in the army McAdoo was assigned to a variety of posts including the Columbus Barracks (OH), Fort McIntosh (Laredo, TX), Fort Sill (OK), and Fort Huachuca (AZ).McAdoo received his final discharge from the army in November 1893. His character was rated as “good.”

After leaving the army McAdoo returned to Tennessee and took a job working as a custodian in the Anderson County Courthouse where he worked for 25 years. He passed away in 1947. McAdoo was so well-regarded by his peers that locals named the Clinton Colored School, located in the heart of Clinton, Tennessee’s black community, in his honor. The Green McAdoo School was designed by architect Frank Barber and built by the Tennessee Emergency Relief Administration in 1935 at a cost of just under $9,000.
On August 27, 1956, twelve students from Green McAdoo entered the all-white Clinton High School making it the first court-ordered integrated high school in the south. Prior to integration graduates from Green McAdoo were bussed 18 miles to Knoxville to attend Austin High School despite the fact that most of the students lived within walking distance of Clinton. Although not without controversy and violence the successful integration of Clinton High School predated the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas (September 1957) by more than one year.

In that regard, the Clinton 12 followed capably in the footsteps of their own pioneer and hero Private Green McAdoo, Twenty-Fourth U.S. Infantry.

The Clinton 12…

Alfred Williams
Minnie Ann Dickey Jones
Maurice Soles
Joann Crozier Allen Boyce
William Latham
Alvah McSwain
Bobby Cain
Regina Turner Smith
Gail Ann Epps Upton
Robert Thacker
Ronald Hayden
Anna Theresser Caswell

*Alan Spears