MENANDS, NY-A New York Army National Guard Color Guard joins Civil War reenactors and members of the Patriot Guard, in honoring Civil War Soldier 1st Sgt. William Francis, a member of the famed 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, the first Black unit to fight in the Union Army. Local Civil War historians identified Francis' unmarked grave at historic Albany Rural Cemetery and arranged for the Veterans Administration to provide a new stone to mark his final resting place.
Francis, who enlisted as a private, served throughout the Civil War, including the 54th's assault on Fort Wagner, South Carolina, made famous in the 1989 movie "Glory".
DMNA Press Releases
NY National Guard In the News
Daily Freeman -- Thu, 16 Oct 2025 Kingston National guardsmen headed to Texas to assist border patrol KINGSTON, N.Y. Sixty-three National Guardsmen assigned to the 104th Military Police Battalion here are among 188 troops being deployed to assist U.S. Border Patrol at the southern border... (more)
Rome Sentinel -- Thu, 16 Oct 2025 Dr. LeCates shares vision as he prepares to lead MVHS UTICA Dr. William LeCates will step into the role of president and CEO of Mohawk Valley Health System on Monday, bringing decades of medical, executive, and military leadership to the position... (more)
Stars and Stripes -- Wed, 15 Oct 2025 National Guard units from Oregon, New York deploy to southern border About 250 soldiers from the Oregon and New York state National Guards are deploying to the U.S.-Mexico border to support the federal agencies operating there. The New York National Guard... (more)