Juneteenth memorial service honors U.S. Colored Troops at Wilmington National Cemetery
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) — A memorial service at Wilmington National Cemetery on Tuesday honored the legacy and sacrifices of the United States Colored Troops ahead of this week’s Juneteenth celebrations.
The ceremony featured speakers, music and tributes recognizing the role Black soldiers played in helping secure the freedom of enslaved African Americans during the Civil War.
“If it were not for the United States Colored Troops, there would be no Juneteenth,” said Sonya Patrick, chair of the New Hanover Chapter of the National Black Leadership Caucus.
Patrick was among several speakers who highlighted the contributions of the United States Colored Troops, or USCT, who fought alongside Union soldiers after the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.
“They fought with bravery along with other Union soldiers, but they fought under really harsh conditions,” Patrick said.
While Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865 — the day Union troops arrived in Texas and announced that more than 250,000 enslaved African Americans were free — many of those troops were members of the USCT.
President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, but the order was not fully enforced in Confederate-controlled areas until Union forces gained control.
Marine veteran Abdul Rahman Shareef also spoke during the service, noting the local connection to those soldiers.
“If you search enough, you might find that your DNA in some of those troops,” Shareef said.
According to Shareef, approximately 500 United States Colored Troop soldiers are buried at Wilmington National Cemetery. Many of their graves are located in the cemetery’s northwest corner.
“Now this is an unknown U.S. soldier, but the USCT marker has USCT on it,” Shareef said while discussing one of the grave markers.
Many of the tombstones do not include the names of those buried there because the soldiers could not be identified at the time of burial.
“We say United States Colored Troops, but they were Americans, and they fought to make America free,” Shareef said. “We enjoy that freedom. If they had not helped turn the tide of that battle, we could have a very different flag.”
