Buffalo Soldiers to travel from Allentown to Easton for “Forgotten Soldiers Ride”

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Members of the Buffalo Soldiers gathered for a small ceremony in the Rose Garden ahead of a massive motorcycle procession to the final resting place of black soldiers buried in a park in Easton Saturday.

A few members of the Buffalo Soldiers, along with their supporters, gathered at the Bethlehem Rose Garden Friday night to lay a wreath at the site of another monument proposed for that land, serving as a preview of the massive walk planned for Saturday.

Organizer Michael “Lawdog” Pitts said the low-key moment in the Rose Garden was intended to pay quiet tribute before the larger show scheduled for Saturday.

Estimates for the ride from Coca-Cola Park include about 2,500 registrations to join the procession, though Pitts said Easton officials have asked the Buffalo Soldiers to limit motorcycles in the city to just over 1,000.

“That’s the big event tomorrow. We’ll play taps, we’ll have a 21-gun salute and we’ll tell them a little bit about the Buffalo Soldiers, because nine of the people buried under the basketball court are all Buffalo Soldiers,” Pitts said, referring to the graves under the Nesquehoning Street basketball court where the bodies of those soldiers were left.

Last year, Pitts and the Buffalo Soldiers, along with Easton City Councilmember Ken Brown, launched an effort to gather information about the site after South Side residents raised the issue with City Hall.

After the city government brought in an outside consultant, this rumor turned out to be true.

Authorities originally believed there were at least three Buffalo Soldiers, all-black cavalry and infantry units that operated from 1866 until the end of the Korean War.

It turns out that nine Buffalo Soldiers were discovered at the site, although the cost of excavating and reburying the bodies in another area was deemed far too high to consider.

Instead, Pitts, the Buffalo Soldiers and city council members agreed that a monument would be an appropriate memorial for the land.

Brown said he was honored to play a role in the plan to recognize the service of these men who served their country and have seemingly been forgotten over time.

“This was an opportunity for them to commemorate what we discovered as a committee and to lay a wreath at the site until we are finished. And we are deeply moved by the outpouring of support and assistance from the community for this special occasion,” Brown said.

And while much work remains to be done — Brown has accepted an invitation from the Philadelphia Eagles’ training camp to visit, during which time he plans to solicit donations to build a monument in Easton Park — Pitts and his fellow Buffalo Soldiers are ready for the journey.

“At the Buffalo Soldiers, we have one motto: Leave no soldier behind. No matter what branch they belonged to, no matter what race they are, we leave no soldier behind,” Pitts said.