A program titled “The Harlem Hellfighters: The Jersey Connection” is planned for 2 p.m. Feb. 18 at the East Brunswick Public Library, 2 Jean Walling Civic Center.
In 1917 the world was at war, and America was about to tip the balance of power on the Western Front. Among the first doughboys to go to France was the 369th U.S. Infantry, known as the Harlem Hellfighters. The regiment, which began as the 15th New York National Guard, was made up of African-American citizen-soldiers from New York City and beyond.
Numbered among the 2,000 soldiers who left Hoboken in December 1917 were more than 170 New Jersey volunteers. The men’s stories will be told during the program, and uniforms and equipment from the period will be on display.
Media presentations on the regiment and on East Brunswick’s role in the war also will be part of the day’s events.
The program is co-sponsored by the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, the East Brunswick Human Relations Council, the New Brunswick Area Branch of the NAACP and the Old Bridge Village Heritage Center.
Admission is free of charge. The public is invited to attend. The presentation is aimed at individuals ages 8 and above.
For more information, call 732-259-6624 or log on to The Harlem Hellfighters: The Jersey Connection on Facebook.