SENATOR SCHUMER AND GILLIBRAND ADVANCE SUOZZI’S LEGISLATION TO AWARD THE HARLEM HELLFIGHTERS THE CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL

Today, Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-Long Island, Queens) released the following statement after U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand helped pass Suozzi’s Harlem Hellfighters Congressional Gold Medal Act to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the 369th Infantry Regiment, commonly known as the Harlem Hellfighters, a black infantry regiment of the New York National Guard that fought in WWI who never received formal recognition from the Federal government for their service.

“It is never too late to do the right thing. When I first met with the families of Harlem Hellfighters and heard their stories I knew we had to get this done,” said Suozzi. “Today, we got it done, and I am grateful to Senator Schumer and especially Senator Gillibrand for her tireless efforts and Congressman Espaillat for helping to right this century-old wrong.”

Fighting to ensure that the Harlem Hellfighters are recognized for their service has been a priority of Suozzi’s. In 2019, Suozzi was approached by the Glen Cove Willett family to help obtain a Purple Heart for Harlem Hellfighter Sgt. Leander Willett. After initially being declined for lack of documentation, Suozzi and his office persevered and were able to secure the necessary documentation through the National Personnel Records Center. In November of 2019, at a ceremony at Glen Cove’s North Shore Historical Museum, Suozzi surprised the Willett family by presenting a posthumous Purple Heart to Harlem Hellfighter Sgt. Leander Willett “for wounds received as a result of hostile actions” in France on October 4, 1918.

The Harlem Hellfighters were a Black infantry regiment in WWI who spent 191 days in combat, more than any other similarly sized American regiment. In 1918, the U.S. Army assigned the Hellfighters to the French army because many white American soldiers refused to go into combat alongside Black Americans. The Hellfighters earned the nicknames “Hommes de Bronze” (Men of Bronze) from the French and “Hollenkampfer” (Hellfighters) from the Germans due to their doggedness and strength. The Hellfighters earned 11 French citations and a unit Croix de Guerre, and 170 soldiers were individually awarded the French Croix de Guerre. However, despite their courage and devotion, the Hellfighters faced prejudice and racism upon their return to the United States.