Third Year Celebration for Buffalo Soldiers Day in Nevada

In 2019, Gov. Steve Sisolak declared July 28 as Buffalo Soldiers Day in Nevada, honoring our nation’s first Black soldiers in a peacetime army. Two cavalry and four infantry regiments were created in 1866 and following the Civil War, the men served as some of the first park rangers in the Sierra Nevada and helped expand infrastructure throughout the Western territory.  

Two groups dedicated to honoring the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers hosted a celebration last month. This is the third year in a row the Southern Nevada Buffalo Soldiers 9th and 10th Horse Cavalry Association and the Las Vegas Chapter of the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club, have hosted an event in honor of the Buffalo Soldiers and the special designation in Nevada. The Buffalo Soldiers were the Army’s all-Black units, although they were led by white officers. The name, Buffalo Soldier was started by the Native Americans they fought against due to their fierce fighting abilities and the buffalo coats they wore in the winter. 

State Senators Pat Spearman and Dallas Harris addressed the group gathered at the Culinary Academy of Las Vegas. Both State Senators were responsible for the passage of SB 336 that led to the creation of Buffalo Soldiers Day in Nevada. 

NDVS Deputy Director of Operation, Fred Wagar also addressed the group and read this year’s proclamation, signed by Governor Sisolak. It highlights the African Americans serving with distinction throughout the Nevada National Guard’s history. It also recognizes Governor Sisolak’s appointment of Major General Ondra Berry as the Nevada National Guard’s first African American adjutant general, demonstrating Nevada’s commitment to equity and inclusion. Read the full proclamation HERE.