Henry Ossian Flipper was born a slave in Georgia but became one of the first blacks to graduate from West Point Military Academy in 1877. He was asigned to the 10th Cavalry as a Second Lieutenant and later became the first black officer to command regular troops in the US Army. He was eventually set up, court martialed, and dishonorably discharged for embezzlement when some money became missing from the fund that he oversaw.
Mr Flipper fought hard for the rest of his life to have the court martial overturned. The court martial was never overturned but was reduced in the 1970′s. He was pardoned in 1999 by president Bill Clinton.
I have seen many different works of art and figurines that were designed to honor this great soldier but I have never seen a military service ring design done for him. One thing that I did see when I was stationed in Fort Sill Oklahoma was a drainage ditch which he built which causes water to drain uphill!!
I don’t know ow he did it but he did. This was a true warrior who never received the honor that he deserved.
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February 12th, 2009 - 5:12 pm
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