Citation de Croix de Guerre (Cross of War)

The 369th Infantry Regiment, the Harlem Hellfighters, was awarded France’s Croix de Guerre for acts of bravery in capturing the village of Séchault from German forces during the infantry’s service with French troops in World War I. The 369th Infantry took part in many European campaigns and were the first Allied forces to reach the Rhine River in Germany. Additionally, the division’s band introduced jazz to much of Europe, creating a music phenomenon there.

Many of the division’s soldiers were awarded French medals of honor yet they faced increasing racial hostilities and blatant acts of discrimination when they returned to the U.S. Nonetheless, the war and the cultural knowledge they gained abroad changed them, helping to create opportunities for a new generation of black American artists and scholars who were embraced in Europe, changing the global artistic and intellectual landscape forever.