New York State Office of General Services Commissioner RoAnn M. Destito today announced the opening reception for the exhibition, Their Glory Can Never Fade: The Legacy of The Harlem Hellfighters, has been rescheduled for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 27 at the Vietnam Memorial Gallery located in the Robert Abrams Justice Building at the Empire State Plaza. The opening, originally scheduled for February 7, was postponed due to inclement weather conditions.

 

This exhibition explores the history and legacy of an African-American regiment from New York that was dispatched to fight for France in World War I and was nicknamed “Hellfighters” by the German army for their actions on the battlefield. Authorized in 1913, and based in Harlem, the 369th Infantry Regiment, formerly known as the 15th Infantry of the New York National Guard, was the first African-American regiment of the New York National Guard. Prior to World War I, the 369th also assembled talented musicians to form an impressive regimental band that influenced the development of jazz music.

 

The reception is free and open to the public and will take place in the lobby of the Vietnam Memorial Gallery. The event will feature special remarks by representatives of the New York State Division of Veterans Affairs, the 369th Veterans Association Inc, and OGS.

 

The Albany High School Jazz Band will perform at the opening of the reception, and a color guard will be provided by the Albany High School Junior ROTC. JROTC is a citizenship and leadership training program offered to students in high schools throughout the country. Albany High’s JROTC is named in honor of a member of the Hellfighters, Sgt. Henry Johnson. Serving in the first African-American unit of the U.S. Army to engage in combat in World War I, Johnson was posthumously awarded a Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama in 2015.

 

Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and by appointment.

 

For additional information about the exhibition and the New York State Vietnam Memorial & Gallery, visit www.empirestateplaza.org; follow @NYSCapitolVisit on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; or call the Empire State Plaza Visitor Center and Gift Shop at (518) 474-2418.