The East Brunswick Library will hold the program, “Harlem Hellfighters: The Jersey Connection,” at 2 p.m. on Feb. 18 at 2 Jean Walling Civic Center.
One hundred years ago, the world was at war and America was about to tip the balance of power on the Western Front. Some of the first Doughboys to go to France were from the famed 369th United States Infantry, better known as the Harlem Hellfighters. The regiment began as the 15th New York National Guard, consisting of African-American citizen-soldiers from New York City and beyond.
Numbered among the 2,000 soldiers that left Hoboken in December of 1917 were more than 170 New Jersey volunteers. Three men came from Middlesex County, including Archie Redd of New Brunswick. Several men had Native-American ancestry and were from the Mahwah area. From cities and small towns, from factories to farms, these men all enlisted in the regiment out of a sense of duty and adventure.
The regiment served in Middlesex County and at Camp Dix prior to shipping out. Thirteen men from New Jersey never came back. Their stories will be told at the program and uniforms and equipment from the period will be on display.
Special media presentations on the regiment and on East Brunswick’s role in the war will be a part of the day’s events. Parents are encouraged to bring children age 8 and older to learn about this forgotten chapter of American history.
For more information, call 732-259-6624.