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National Cemetery Administration

 

Remembrance: Honoring Black Soldiers

On November 13, 2023, the Army Board for Correction of Military Records overturned the conviction of 110 Black soldiers charged with mutiny, murder and assault more than a century ago in the 1917 Houston Riot. These Veterans below were those soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment who died as a result of the largest mass execution of American soldiers by the U.S. Army. On January 17, 1918 — the result of flawed court martials and public response to immediate, secretive executions of these mutineers — the Army revised its appellate review process to require higher military review, forever changing military law.

The remains of seventeen of the executed soldiers were reburied at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in 1937, having been moved from their original graves at Salado Creek. The remains of two soldiers (denoted below) were returned to family by request. Graves of the executed are marked with standard government-issued General type, but are inscribed only with names and dates of death (Section PA, Graves 20–36).

These men are highlighted by the NCA History Program and are featured as notable Veterans on the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery page. The Veterans Legacy Program commemorates our nation's Veterans and Service Members through the discovery and sharing of their stories. NCA invites you to remember these Veterans and visit their memorial pages to celebrate their legacy, military service and sacrifice to our nation. You can post tributes (comments), upload images, and share biographical information, historical documents and more.

Watch: NCA commemorative event

NCA dedicates new headstones to honor Black soldiers, correcting 1917 injustice
FEBRUARY 22, 2024

VA has provided these soldiers with new headstones that fully honor their service — including names, state, rank, unit, and date of death — and an updated interpretive sign sharing their story, educating the public, and providing closure for the next of kin.

Learn More

View the interpretive sign: The Legacy of the Houston Mutineers

Read the featured history story: "Black Houston Mutineers Legacy"


Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery



Charles W. Baltimore
Charles W. Baltimore, U.S. Army, CPL.
U.S. Army, CPL
Date of Death:
12/11/1917

Memorial Page »
William D. Boone
United States Army seal for William D. Boone, U.S. Army, PFC.
U.S. Army, PFC
Date of Death:
09/24/1918

Memorial Page »
William Breckenridge
United States Army seal for William Breckenridge, U.S. Army, PFC.
U.S. Army, PFC
Date of Death:
12/11/1917

Memorial Page »
Babe Collier
United States Army seal for Babe Collier, U.S. Army, PVT.
U.S. Army, PVT
Date of Death:
09/17/1918

Memorial Page »
Ira B. Davis
United States Army seal for Ira Davis, U.S. Army, PVT.
U.S. Army, PVT
Date of Death:
12/11/1917

Memorial Page »
James Divins
United States Army seal for James Divins, U.S. Army, PVT.
U.S. Army, PVT
Date of Death:
12/11/1917

Memorial Page »
Thomas C. Hawkins
United States Army seal for Thomas C. Hawkins, U.S. Army, PFC.
U.S. Army, PFC
Date of Death:
12/11/1917

Memorial Page »
Frank Johnson
United States Army seal for Frank Johnson, U.S. Army, PVT.
U.S. Army, PVT
Date of Death:
12/11/1917

Memorial Page »
Thomas McDonald
United States Army seal for Thomas McDonald, U.S. Army, Cook.
U.S. Army, Cook
Date of Death:
09/17/1918

Memorial Page »
Pat McWhorter
United States Army seal for Pat McWhorter, U.S. Army, PVT.
U.S. Army, PVT
Date of Death:
12/11/1917

Memorial Page »
Jesse Moore
United States Army seal for Jesse Moore, U.S. Army, CPL.
U.S. Army, CPL
Date of Death:
12/11/1917

Memorial Page »
William C. Nesbit
William C. Nesbit, U.S. Army, SGT.
U.S. Army, SGT
Date of Death:
12/11/1917

Memorial Page »
James Robinson
United States Army seal for James Robinson, U.S. Army, PVT.
U.S. Army, PVT
Date of Death:
09/17/1918

Memorial Page »
Carlos Snodgrass
United States Army seal for Carlos Snodgrass, U.S. Army, PFC.
U.S. Army, PFC
Date of Death:
12/11/1917

Memorial Page »
James Wheatley
United States Army seal for James Wheatley, U.S. Army, CPL.
U.S. Army, CPL
Date of Death:
12/11/1917

Memorial Page »
Albert D. Wright
United States Army seal for Albert D. Wright, U.S. Army, PVT.
U.S. Army, PVT
Date of Death:
09/17/1918

Memorial Page »
Risley W. Young
United States Army seal for Risley W. Young, U.S. Army, PVT.
U.S. Army, PVT
Date of Death:
12/11/1917

Memorial Page »

Remains returned to family by request



Larnon Brown
United States Army seal for Larnon Brown, U.S. Army, CPL.
U.S. Army, CPL


Joseph Smith
United States Army seal for Joseph Smith, U.S. Army, PVT.
U.S. Army, PVT


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