Historically Speaking
Published by The Afro-American Historical Association of the Niagara Frontier, Inc.
P.O. Box 63
Buffalo NY 14207
www.aahanf.org
Sharon Holley, Madeline Scott, and Sonia Walker, Editors
Volume 35
Number 1 April 2011
Merriweather, Jr. Branch Library, other sponsors included the
Buffalo Public School – Dept. of Social Studies, Lit-Mus
Study
Club
and
the
NAACP-Buffalo
Branch
ACT-SO Program.
Annual Family History Dinner
The Afro-American Historical Association of the Niagara
Frontier’s 34th Annual Family History Dinner/Annual
Meeting will be held Friday, May 6th, 2011 at 6:30 P.M. at the
Emerson School of Hospitality, 86 West Chippewa.
1st Place – Grades 4-6
Jaylen Stewart
Grade 4, Pinnacle Charter School
The Family History Presenter
will be Linda Capers Wheeler.
Mrs. Wheeler has researched her
family names of King, Capers,
Wilkerson, Biddle(s), Jordan,
Chatters, and Sims.
Family
locations include:
Virginia:
Portsmouth, Norfolk, County,
Kings & Queens County;
Alabama:
Hatchechubbee,
Hurtsboro, Uchee, Phenix City –
Russell
County,
and
Birmingham – Jefferson County;
Georgia: Columbus, Muscogee County; Ohio: Cincinnati and
Hamilton County;
Chicago, Illinois; and New York:
Brooklyn, Buffalo and Syracuse.
Debbera M. Ransom is Commander of the Jesse Clipper Post
No. 430 American Legion Department of New York is my
Grandma. My Grandma Debbera M. Ransom served just after
the Vietnam War as a Military Police Woman for 3 years. She
was in Germany for over a year. She was in the Army.
I was recently in a Veterans Parade with my Grandma
Debbera M. Ransom. My Grandma took me to see the Jesse
Clipper Monument. He was from Buffalo and he died in
World War I. I went to go see the Bennett and Wells
Monument. They were both from Buffalo and died in World
War II.
My Grandpa Cornelius Stewart was in the Air Force for 20
years and he went to Alaska and Japan. Great Uncle Walter
Watkins was in the Air Force for 4 years during the Vietnam
War. He was in California. My cousin Johnathan Hopkins is
in the Navy right now. He has been in the Navy for 5 years.
He just got married last summer. He went to Italy. My Great
Grandpa John Watkins was in the Army in World War II in
Louisiana.
William Wells Brown Awards for supporting the preservation
of African American History will be presented to the Buffalo
& Erie County Historical Society, Seneca Vaught, James
(Pappy) Martin and the Jefferson Street Heritage Gallery.
Tickets for this event are $25 and can be obtained by sending
payment made payable to AAHANF to;
AAHANF P.O. Box 63, Buffalo, NY 14207
Advance reservations are required.
1st Place, Grades 7-9
Kara Brown
Grade 9, City Honors School
Lt. Col. Cravane M. Givens
34th Annual Carter G. Woodson Essay Contest
Cravane M. Givens was born in Buffalo, New York on June
18, 1932 to William Henry Givens and Estelle Roberts
Givens. He was the middle child of five siblings. In 1951 he
married Rhudine Givens and had two children with her,
Bobby in 1966 and Dawn in 1968. He is my great-uncle and I
was able to obtain this information by conducting an
interview.
The winners of the 34th Annual Carter G. Woodson Essay
Contest received certificates and cash prizes at the awards
program held on Saturday, February 19, 2011 at the Frank E.
Merriweather, Jr. Branch Library, 1324 Jefferson Avenue.
The theme of this year’s program was “A Salute to African
American Soldiers in Western New York.” At the program,
Mrs. Sandra Bush, Branch Manager welcomed the audience
and Mrs. Sharon Holley hosted the program. In addition to the
Afro-American Historical Association and the Frank E.
Cravane M. Givens fought in the Korean War as part of the
Air Force. He served between the years 1954 and 1974. He
flew a tanker plane. The job of a tanker was to deliver fuel to
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other planes while in the air. The job required a lot of skill.
He was stationed in Topeka, Kansas; Plattsburgh, New York;
Roswell, New Mexico; Livingstone, California; and
Maryville, California. He was deployed to Alaska, New
Forman, Greenland, England, Turkey, Japan, Guam, Wake
Island, Midway, the Philippines, China and Thailand.
technician fourth grade. A technician fourth grade is someone
in the service that has a specialized skill, like a cook. Those
who held this rank were often addressed as Sergeant. Alfred
was later placed as a cook for the officers and soldiers that
dealt with the chemical warfare of World War II.
In mid-1943, Alfred’s appendix erupted and he was rushed to
the hospital. Because of segregation he has taken to a hospital
of less quality than that of a hospital for white service men.
This hospital did not have the proper tools and knowledge to
give him the correct treatment needed. Alfred was given a
spinal, but because of the poor quality, it was incorrectly given
and he became paralyzed. On October 27, 1943 Alfred was
discharged from the service and went on to work for the post
office. After retiring in 1967, Alfred started the Henry Pollard
Post #5.
As part of the Air Force he was able to experience the world
for himself. One thing that he greatly enjoyed seeing was the
sunrise every morning. He said that it would come up slowly,
and then pop up when you weren’t looking. It was one of the
most beautiful things he ever witnessed. One thing he
remembers distinctly was being on his plane and seeing a
bright red light that he and other pilots thought was another
plane that they wanted to avoid, but the light turned out to be
Mars. He enjoyed seeing various mountain ranges such as the
Himmalayas, and the Andes. Before joining the Air Force he
never imagined being able to see and explore the world for
himself. Having these experiences had a profound impact on
his life.
A post is like an organization for veterans to congregate. The
Henry Pollard Post #5 was the first Post for African
Americans in Buffalo, NY and Alfred was the first African
American Commander of that Post. From then on, he joined
the St. John Lodge #16, the Hadji Temple #61, the Shriners,
the Free and Accepted Masons and the Disabled American
Veterans. He also received four certificates of appreciation
from the Selective Service System. The certificates were
given and signed by former Presidents: President Johnson,
President Nixon and President Ford. In 2002 Alfred received
two Minority Veterans Awards in WNY.
His first trip overseas came as a surprise. He was given three
days notice to gather his things and say goodbye to his loved
ones. He then headed off to Japan. While flying over Asia he
saw the Great Wall of China, The Himalayas and many other
amazing landmarks within one week. Going to Japan was
such a surreal experience, because he wasn’t expecting it. He
wasn’t planning on being overseas that week or seeing the
things he had only read about in books or seen pictures of,
making it even more special than it would have been if he had
more time to prepare for his departure.
On June 14, 2002 Alfred died in his home in Amherst from a
long-term illness. Coincidentally he died on Flag Day. My
grandfather Alfred left behind his legacy of the Henry Pollard
Post #5 and his loyalty to his country.
As a result of his accomplishments in the war he received the
Air Medal, four Commendation Medals, the Command Pilot
Badge, the Combat Crew Pilot Badge, and the Instructor Pilot
Badge.
3rd Place, Grades 7-9
Christana Ellison
Grade 7, Highgate Heights Elementary School #80
Like any war, not everything was a positive experience, but it
was an experience that he will never forget. Never did he
think he would be able to travel all over the world but he did,
and he did so while fighting for his country.
Evelyn W. Jones (1947-2010)
My salute to an African American Soldier is my great aunt,
Evelyn W. Jones. Evelyn W. Jones was born on October 19,
1947 to Daniel and Ceola Williams.
Evelyn was
affectionately called “Sister” because she was the first
daughter born after four brothers. My great aunt went to
Houston High School. My great aunt relocated to Buffalo,
New York after coming from Houston in 1966 pursuing her
ambition to become a Registered Nurse.
2nd Place, Grades 7-9
Imani McCoullum
Grade 9, City Honors School
My grandfather Alfred Bouie of Amherst, NY served his
country in World War II as a cook and technician fourth
grade. Alfred was born September 19, 1923 in Attapulgus,
GA. As a teenager he moved to Western New York and
attended Hutchinson Central Technical High School, now
known as Hutch Tech.
She enrolled in the Fosdick Masten Vocational School and
began her nursing on June 23, 1968. She went on to earn her
Associate Degree in Applied Science from Erie Community
College in 1977 and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing
from the University of Buffalo in 1983. In September 1987,
Evelyn met her husband to be, Mr. Joseph Charles Jones.
They were united in Holy Matrimony seven months later. In
addition to her nursing career, in 1978 Evelyn began her
Drafted from Hutch Tech in 1941, Alfred joined the service, to
be in the Army. Due to medical reasons he was unable to go
overseas. He was placed at Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland
and was trained to be a baker and a cook. In 1942 Alfred
graduated from the Arsenal and was placed temporarily as a
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career with the United States Army Reserve as an Enlisted
Officer.
States and its citizens. To observe this heroism, one must look
no further than the community of Western New York.
She became a Commissioned Officer in 1981 and was a
Second Lieutenant.
She served as a Nurse, Skilled
Qualificated Officer and an Equal Opportunity Advisor for
which she received training at Patrick Air Force Base in
Melbourne, Florida. In 1990 -1991, Evelyn’s tour of duty
took her to Saudi Arabia where she served in Operation Desert
Storm. She retired from the U.S. Army Reserve as a
Lieutenant Colonel after serving for 24 years, 9 months and 25
days. Evelyn was a lifetime member of the Veterans of
Foreign Wars and was Post Commander for two years.
Of all the military heroes with affiliations to Western New
York, Sgt. Edwin Garris stands out as one of the finest. Sgt.
Garris served a tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2007 as a
member of the National Guard. To this day, he continues to
fight to strengthen his community as a police officer in the city
of Buffalo. However, his claim to fame was not necessarily
achieved as a soldier. Instead, Sgt. Garris is most known for
his input and ideas on the development of Afghani police
forces to help combat and deter the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Having experienced firsthand the practices of the Taliban
during his service in the National Guard, and understanding
how police systems work, Sgt. Garris has recently been
consulted as a credible source of feedback on how to design
an effective domestic force to maintain a state of peace in
Afghanistan as the United States has vowed to decline its
involvement. Most notably, he has expressed that an Afghani
police force must be designed corresponding to the needs and
culture of Afghanistan, not based on our preconceived notions
of what police forces look like in America. In essence, Sgt.
Edwin Garris has, and continues to preserve and promote the
well being of the United States of America.
She was a lifetime member of the Reserve Officers
Association and held a membership with the New York State
Nurses’ Association. My great aunt Evelyn Jones’ nursing
career led her to employment with Sisters of Charity Hospital,
Niagara Lutheran Nursing Home, and the Buffalo Veterans
Administration Medical Center where she began working in
1970. In December 2004, Evelyn retired from the Veterans
Administration Medical Center with 35 years of service.
Somehow between the two careers, Evelyn always found time
to help others. Evelyn loved helping her family and friends.
She often gave advice to her family. When we had a problem
she was always there to help no matter what. Evelyn enjoyed
working in her vegetable garden. She would grow cucumbers,
carrots, cabbage, and tomatoes. My great aunt Evelyn always
tried to live a healthy life. She had a flowerbed in her
backyard. She loved growing flowers like roses, sunflowers
and dandelions.
1st Place, Grades 10-12
Bianca Marquez
Grade 12, McKinley High School
It takes a lot of courage to join any branch in the military. The
Marines are a very strong and dedicated branch though.
Marines are the first to fight. They have twelve weeks of
training opposed to the Army which has nine to ten weeks. In
my opinion if you have the courage to join any branch at all
you are worth mentioning. I know you need courage because
I am enlisted, and I know the fears you face. The military is a
career choice to some, a lifelong dream to others. Either way
it takes time, courage, dedication, and loyalty to get such a
career. Some people have what it takes. Some people don’t.
My great aunt Evelyn had two main hobbies that she loved.
Her hobbies were participating in Ballroom Dancing classes.
She was so talented that she won many awards in the
competitions that she entered. Another hobby that she really
loved was bowling. She bowled on leagues where she won
several trophies.
My great aunt Evelyn Jones was a very intellectual, talented
person. She has always been an influence on her family and
friends and was always there to teach us right. Sadly she died
at the age of 62.
One person who had the courage not only to join the service,
but join the Marines is Marine Lance Corporal Tamario D.
Burkett. His aunt wrote many more than kind words for him
on a website. Stating, how much of an amazing family
member he was. His younger brother was even making a
comic book about him. He was the eldest of seven children.
His family has said that he was a poet, an artist, and an
amazing big brother. His letters home included special notes
for each of his younger siblings one through eighteen.
3rd Place, Grades 7-9
Simon Jackson-Forsberg
Grade 9, City Honors School
Ever since this country was founded, African Americans have
fought to advance and preserve it. On the home front, great
leaders have emerged such as Barak Obama and Martin Luther
King, Jr., who in the eyes of many are seen as heroes for their
advancement of not only people of African descent but our
nation as a whole. In this sense, African Americans serving
abroad in the United States military are heroes too, fighting on
a daily basis to preserve the freedoms and ideals of the United
At the age of twenty one he was sent to the war in Iraq. He
was said to be promoted from a Private First Class to a Lance
Corporal right before being deployed. He was a long way
from home. He was from Buffalo, New York travelling to
Iraq to serve his country. Now that is courage. He was
assigned to the First Battalion, Second Marine regiment, and
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Second Expeditionary brigade. He trained in Camp Lejuene,
North Carolina.
live in Western New York, there is only one that stands out to
me and that is my father.
Tamario Burkett was listed as missing in action in Iraq. He
was lost during a fierce gun battle in the Iraqi city of An
Nasiriyah. The pentagon described the ambush as one of the
worse setbacks for the U.S. Several Marines were killed, and
eight still remain missing in battle. Burkett’s parents were
told that their son was helping secure a bridge near Nasiriyah
when his unit came under fire. They dispersed and that was
the last they saw of him. Tamario Burkett will always remain
a hero to me. After reading of his battle online, and thinking
of his courage for becoming one of the first to fight, he is an
extraordinary individual, as well as a hero, and should be
considered nothing less. Only nine percent of the U.S.
population serves in the military. He was one of them. Not
many people have the courage, and strength that Tamario had.
So I pray that he is never forgotten. My belief is that we
should learn about people like this in our history books. We
should learn about people who risked their lives to save the
lives of American civilians.
My father, Sgt. Kenneth Ross was born and raised in Buffalo,
New York. He was drafted into the United States Military at
the age of 21 in 1970 and chose the Air Force as his branch of
choice. Throughout his three years, he had been stationed in
Fairbanks, Alaska, Clarke Air Base, Guam, Luke Air Base,
Arizona, Lackland, San Antonio, Texas and Fairchild,
Washington. He has many interesting stories about his years
in the military, but the one that stuck out the most to him was
the air travel. Prior to 1970, he had never been on a plane and
his worse experience regarding air travel was spending 16
hours in the air traveling from Fairbanks, Alaska to Clarke Air
Base in Guam. When he was in Guam, he said that the water
buffalo would stampede through the village so the natives
would give them tranquilizers and they would lay down and
go to sleep. So if you were nervous about flying long
distances, you would take one and be in a comatose sleep for
16 hours. He also like to talk about how pretty the Northern
Lights are in Alaska and how you would have to put dark
covers on the windows there because it was bright outside
during the winter, even in the middle of the night.
The presence of Tamario Demetrius Burkett filled the
sanctuary at his memorial service in True Bethel Baptist
Church. While Burkett was remembered as a superhero,
others thought about his more sensitive side. Up on the pulpit,
and at a makeshift podium, ministers, politicians and his high
school principal filled the room with stories about the Tamario
Burkett his friends and family remembered, the young man
bursting with pride about becoming a U.S. Marine. Burkett
obviously was concerned about the violence of war, worried
about the possibility of having to harm someone else. “Do you
think God will forgive me if I have to kill somebody?” he
asked his mother before going into battle. She assured him
that God would forgive him for fighting for his country and
protecting his fellow soldiers. Former McKinley schoolmates
also recalled his gentler side after the memorial service. “He
was so sweet. He was the sweetest person you’d ever meet.
We’d write poetry together. He wanted to save the world. If
he could, he would. I’m sure of that,” said Shemisa Ali, tears
welling up in her eyes. Aisha Aladdin described Burkett as
her closest friend. “He wrote poems, mostly love poems,” she
said. “He made words sound like music.”
Kenneth Ross has not served in any war, but he was an
honorable soldier and served his three years diligently and
followed the number one Air Force value and that is integrity.
In 1973, my father got an honorable discharge from the
military and returned home. Because of his honorable
discharge, he is recognized as one of the brave soldiers that
have served his country and honored the commitment that he
had made and followed through on it with his three years of
service.
The Western New York soldier I choose to salute is my father
for his bravery, courage, and integrity to the United States Air
Force. He honored his commitment just like many brave
African American soldiers did in the past.
3rd Place, Grades 10-12
Isaiah M. Brundige
Grade 11, McKinley High School
The African American soldier that I will be talking about
today is my cousin Sergeant (SGT) Alsson Ryan Brundige.
My cousin joined the U.S. Army (Active Duty) on July 4,
2001. He attended Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson,
South Carolina where he excelled and was advanced to the
rank of Private (E-2). Soon after graduating from Basic
Combat Training, Sgt. Brundige continued on to Advance
Individual Training where he was trained and selected for
Military Occupation Specialty (MOS). The selected MOS was
77w – Water Purification Specialist. After completing the
training, Sgt. Brundige arrived to his first duty station at Fort
Bragg, North Carolina.
Rest in Peace Tamario Demetrius Burkett. I never knew you,
but you will forever be a hero in my eyes.
2nd Place, Grades 10-12
Kenida Ross
Grade 11, McKinley High School
African Americans have been serving this country since the
American Revolution. Even though we are passed that time
period, there are many African Americans that stepped up to
the plate to serve their country in almost every war since then.
It is because of their bravery and honesty that they are
appreciated as soldiers. Although there are many soldiers that
In April of 2003, Sgt. Brundige deployed in support of
Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) as a Water Purification
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Sonny didn’t let nothing discourage him. He wanted to make
being a soldier a career, so that is what he set out to do. Sonny
entered the Army from February 25, 1966 to March 1, 1996,
thirty years strong. Sonny did his training at Ft. Dix, New
Jersey where he did his Basic and Advanced Entity Training.
After he completed his training, he was sent to Mannheim,
Germany to go to Vietnam from July 1966 to December 1967.
Sonny came home and took some time off before going back
to Vietnam on April 30, 1968. He served in First Entity
Division from April to May in 1969. He later came back
home to spend some time with his family to later realize the
best thing to do was to re-enlist in the Army in March of 1970.
He was sent to Ft. Carson after re-enlisting for seven months
that same year. Sonny was later shipped out to Korea for a
year in October 1970 until November 1971. Sonny went back
to Ft. Carson for 2 years from November 1971 until June
1974. Sonny later moved to Frankfurt, Germany from June
1974 to June 1977. He served in Germany for 3 years and
then went to Ft. Monroe, VA and stayed from June 1977 to
April 1982. He went back to Korea that same year until 1985.
Sonny went to Saw Major Academy in Ft. Bliss, TX from July
1987 until January 1988. He later went back to Ft. Monroe
and served until 1990. He left and went back to Frankfurt,
Germany for 3 years from June 1990 to June 1993. He went
back to Fort Jackson, South Carolina and then retired on
March 1, 1996. After the retirement from the military, Sonny
took a job at Sears, where he worked for 12 years until he
retired from there. During his career in the military, Sonny
received his G.E.D. and finished high school. He later went to
college and graduated with full honors.
Specialist. The area where he worked the most was in
Southern Iraq in places such as An’Nasariyah and Tallil Air
Base.
The most interesting story I have about Sgt. Brundige is when
he had the opportunity to work in a place that has a significant
amount of history and beauty and well known in the Bible.
This place is known as Babylon, in history it is known as the
city of Babel. He had the opportunity to join forces with the
Polish military in support of humanitarian missions which
allowed him to utilize his particular MOS. Water purification
operations began in the city of Babylon where millions of
gallons of water were used for many things such as schools,
hospitals, drinking, bathing, and irrigation to help produce
significant vegetation.
Sgt. Brundige said, “Out of all the years of being in the
service, my most memorable times have been when I was
overseas. The friendships that I have made are ones that no
one who has not experienced a deployment together in war
would understand.” He continued to explain how they woke
up many nights to the sounds of mortar rounds hitting the
camp, running to bunkers and “fortified buildings” in hopes of
staying alive to see the light of day. Out of all the 10 years of
being able to fly in a helicopter across the desserts of Iraq,
through the cities at a fast pace, this was not just any
helicopter, but a Black Hawk! “The feeling was like no other
feeling, the maneuvers we did, the support we gave was a
sense of being able to see the battlefield from a new light.”
3rd Place, Grades 10-12
Briana Council
Grade 11, McKinley High School
During his years in the military, Sonny pretty much did it all.
He came up on top in the ranks. He was Squad Leader, Tool
Sergeant, First Sergeant, Saw Major, AC Saw Major. In
Germany, during the Iraq War, Sonny’s unit had to deploy the
soldiers into the war. This was the first time this had been
done in history since WWII. This was stressful and they
worked around the clock. They would work for three to four
days at a time without sleep. They were exhausted. Sonny
was the Saw Major at the A.I.G. (Advance Infantry Training)
school in Ft. Jackson. There he taught the soldiers their
M.O.S. Sonnny ran that school. Sonny was also the AG
(Adjutant General) Saw Major. His job was based on
administration. He had to train and support the soldiers and
their families. He had to make sure their families are taken
care of and their paperwork was up to par. The highlight of
Sonny’s military career was the book based on his company.
The book talked about what Vietnam did to the soldiers. It
was called “Charlie Company” and was written in 1981. The
book was such a success and they were all flown out to Key
West, Florida where they met with Bill Moyers from PBS.
Their reunion was filmed and their stories became a success.
Sonny received many letters from guys that fought in war and
calls from all over the world. They were so excited about the
book and telling the world about their experiences in the war
and when they came home.
Vietnam Veteran Omega “Sonny” Harris, Sr.
When Omega Harris, Sr. also known as Sonny decided to go
to the Army he was only 17 years old. He was only a Junior at
East High School. The recruiter tried to convince Sonny that
the Army was not the best place for him at such a young age,
seeing that age was not a concern they recruited anybody. He
encouraged him to finish school and find another path to
follow. Sonny heard what the man was trying to tell him, but
he had made up his mind, he was going to the Army. There
were no “ifs,” “ands” or “buts” about it. Sonny wanted to
follow in the footsteps of his older brother, Buddy. Since
Buddy was enlisting in the Army, Sonny felt the need to do
the same. He felt that there was nothing his brother could do
that he could not do. So Sonny’s mother signed them up and
told them that they could get their first four years but then that
was it. She feared that she was going to lose her sons. Sonny
and Buddy spent about two weeks in battle before Buddy
decided that the Army life was not the life for him and he
wanted out. Respecting his brother’s wishes, Sonny signed a
waiver to send his brother home. Buddy turned back around
and told his brother, “One day you will understand why I had
to leave.” Sonny didn’t understand what Buddy meant until
he experienced his first fire fight, then he understood.
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USCT Database
A new collection has been added to the Monroe Fordham Regional History Center. The Western New York African
American Civil War Soldiers database can be accessed through the Center’s website (monroefordham.org.) The
information gathered regarding the soldiers was located on Ancestry.com, Civil War Database and other Civil War
websites and the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society. The basic information on the 54th MA Colored Infantry
soldiers was from a database produced by Thomas L. Doughton titled “New York Men in Massachusetts Colored
Infantry Units.” The research, databases, and this section of the website was produced by Lynn Lombardo, BSC History
Department, Masters Student.
Afro-American Association of the Niagara Frontier, Inc.
P. O. Box 63
Buffalo, New York 14207
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