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When people remember the late Bob Marley, they don't think of anything military. More than 30 years after his death, his smiling, dreadlocked visage still beams from countless T-shirts and posters. Savvy vendors often outline his famous face in the bright green, black and yellow hues that make up the flag of his native Jamaica. For many fans, Marley personifies Jamaica, and the first thing that comes to mind is certainly the driving reggae beat born and nurtured in the vibrant island na- tion. As we go about our daily routines, we often hear the infectious melodies of Marley's greatest hits, such as "No Woman No Cry," "Jammin'," "Three Little Birds," "Get Up, Stand Up" and "Is This Love?" One of rock legend Eric Clapton's big smashes was a cover of Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff." All these songs play regularly on the radio, the Internet, and in malls and elevators across our country. Bob Marley died in 1981, but like Elvis Presley, Marvin Gaye and Jim Morrison, his musical influence remains very much alive.
Marley's connection to the U.S. Army is stronger than you may know. It forms an interesting and worthy part of the soundtrack for Black History Month, which we celebrate across our posts, camps and stations throughout this month. One of the reggae super- star 's final favorites was recorded in 1980, just before his death (the cut was not released until 1983). Titled "Buf- falo Soldier," the haunting tune re- volves around the rhythmic repetition of the lyric "Buffalo Soldier in the heart of America." Though Jamaican, Marley found great resonance in the idea that former slaves and their chil- dren became superb troops for the U.S. Army on the frontier. Himself a military son, as his father served in the British Royal Marines, Marley told the tale as only he could. In so doing, he added more luster to the annals of six of America's most famous fighting regi- ments.
The Buffalo Soldiers were among the best of the Army's frontier Regulars. Impressed by the superb combat perfor- mance of the volunteers who made up the approximately 178,000 U.S. Colored Troops that served the Union cause in the Civil War of 1861-65, Congress author- ized the formation of six...