Military Appreciation Month

The Charles H. Wright Museum
of African American History

Honoring our Troops

This month, we honor brave and brilliant African Americans who have served or are currently serving our country!

Image: National Archives

About Military Appreciation Month

Military Appreciation Month began in 1999 to ensure the nation was given the chance to publicly show appreciation for troops past and present. This month, we honor brave and brilliant African Americans who have served or are currently serving our country!

  • Celebrate the Tuskegee Airmen

    Visit the Tuskegee Airmen National Museum, in The Wright Museum! The facility is dedicated to honoring the legacy and achievements of the nation's first All-Black air fighter squadron.
    Visit their museum

  • Discover Cathay Williams, the first and only female Buffalo Soldier

    In 1866, Cathay Williams became the first Black woman to enlist, & the only documented woman to serve in the U.S. Army posing as a man. Also the first and only female Buffalo Soldier, in 1868 her secret was discovered & she was honorably discharged.
    More on Williams and other military women

  • Triple Nickels

    555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, more commonly known as the "Triple Nickles," was the first all-Black paratrooper unit in U.S. history. This unit embarked on a secret mission to thwart the Axis Powers' attacks on the continental U.S.
    Read more

  • Get this month's Wright Message Tee

    May's Wright Message Tee features wise words from Colin Powell.
    Shop now

Did you know...?

Did you know that African descendants have participated in every conflict in U.S. history dating back to the Revolutionary War?

The 369th Infantry Regiment served on the front lines for 191 days during World War I, longer than any other American unit. In that time, the Soldiers of the regiment, known as the "Harlem Hellfighters," never gave up any ground they captured.

Did you know that only one African American has become Chairman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest-ranking officer in the United States military? This officer was Colin Powell, and he was appointed to the role in 1989. 

Did you know that of the 35,000 women who went to Desert Storm during the Persian Gulf War (1991-1992), an estimated 40% of them were African-American?