HR 4491 (Buffalo Soldier Study Act)

Posted February 22, 2010 at by Geneva Brett, VP.

Category:
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Sample Support Letter

Dear Fellow American,

Rarely in life are we gifted the opportunity to truly make a difference in American History. Even rarer is that all that’s required to do so is the simple writing of a letter that will become a part of the Congressional Record forever. Please, join us in supporting the Buffalo Soldiers Study Act – a precursor to the establishment of a National Historical Trail of the 1903 Route of the 9th Cavalry. The Buffalo Soldiers who, led by then Captain Charles Young protected, developed and tended our National Parks and rested right here in Los Banos.

We’d like your email/letter to be included in the Congressional permanent record. We would like you to write two letters, one to the Chairperson of the hearing Subcommittee Chairman Grijalva and the other to YOUR elected representative. We would like to take your letter with us to Congress, but we would need it in hand by tomorrow 2-23-2010. If you cannot make this deadline, all letters must be in our hands no later than March 6th 2010 in order to be included in the Congressional permanent record.
You can Email, Fax or Snail Mail your letter to us.

Below are some ideas you might include in your letter. These are just suggestions, please write the letter in your own words.

Dear Chairman Grijalva:

I/we support H.R. 4491, the “Buffalo Soldiers in the National Parks Study Act”, and ask you to do the same. I/we support this Bill because:

____a) it honors American Veterans. This Bill recognizes and acknowledges Veterans of Foreign and Domestic Wars who have been little noted and mostly forgotten in the pages of American history.

____b) it will educate the American public about the important contributions African-Americans made in our National Parks prior to the establishment of the National Parks Service in 1916.

____c) the establishment of a Historical Trail will benefit communities along the route by the creation of historical and cultural tourism. Such tourism will result in increased sales and sales tax dollars benefiting merchants and community services.

____d) it will educate the American public about the history of our National Parks Service by bringing the National Parks out of the Parks and to the public, generating more interest in enjoying “America’s Best Idea”.

____e) it will educate the American public about the segregated army units knows as Buffalo Soldiers and their remarkable, yet mostly unknown, contributions to our nation. The Buffalo Soldiers, who excelled under extreme adversity, will serve as exemplary role models to our youth.

____f) it will bring to light the amazing life and military career of Colonel Charles Young; 3rd Black Grad of West Point, 1stBlack Supr of a Nat’l Park, 1stBlack Military Attaché, highest ranking Black officer from 1894-1922, one of 10 people to date to have a memorial service in the marble Amphitheater at Arlington Nat’l Cemetery, yet he remains relatively unknown outside the National Parks Service and modern day Buffalo Soldier historians.

____g) it’s never too late to recognize people and groups for contributions they have made to society. We cannot change the omissions of history, but together we can write new history honoring the Buffalo Soldiers who were overlooked because of the time in which they served.

As a member of the ____________________(insert name of your group) and/or as an American citizen, the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers is important. This story/their story is too important to be forgotten. Please pass H.R. 4491. On behalf of every Veteran who has ever served, thank you!

Sincerely,

Name

Address (City/state/zip) Phone number and e-mail