A Salute to the Nogales Buffalo Soldiers

This weekend, the Nogales Buffalo Soldiers Legacy Association will pay tribute to the Nogales Buffalo Soldiers at the Nogales City Cemetery on Saturday, January 28.

In the early 1900s, the Buffalo Soldiers, which were all-Black units of the U.S. Army, fought their first battle at the U.S.-Mexico border in Nogales. From 1910 to 1933, soldiers from the 25th Infantry and 10th Cavalry were stationed at Camp Stephen Little, which is now where Nogales’ Western Avenue runs.

The salute on Saturday will honor the lives of those soldiers and start Black History Month.

A Salute to the Nogales Buffalo Soldiers
A Salute to the Nogales Buffalo Soldiers

The salute starts at 10 a.m. at the Nogales Cemetery on Western Avenue, where more than 50 Buffalo Soldiers are buried. The Fort Huachuca Color Guard and the B Troop Cavalry will pay their respects.

Attendees are also encouraged to learn more about the history of the Nogales Buffalo Soldiers during a walk to several historical sites along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Pimeria Alta Museum, at 136 N. Grand Ave., will have an exhibit open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

All four of the Buffalo Soldiers’ regiments served at Fort Huachuca. This is something that most people know. But they also served at Camp Naco, which was built by the U.S. Army near Bisbee in 1919 and was near Nogales. The Nogales Buffalo Soldiers Legacy Association says that the Buffalo Soldiers were also stationed there and can be thought of as the “Original Border Patrol.”

The All-Black 25th Infantry and 10th Cavalry Regiments of the U.S. Army are remembered by the Nogales Buffalo Soldiers Legacy Association. Many of their children and grandchildren still live in Nogales, and many of them are members of the Association.

Stay tuned to our website NogMagazine.com for more related updates.