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
Albany Times Union, Aug. 21 -- Thu, 21 Aug 2025 Duty Calls: West Point grad advances to Army National Guard colonel Mathew Kilgore, an Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran, has advanced to the rank of colonel in the New York Army National Guard. The 2002 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point... (more)
The Daily Gazette -- Wed, 13 Aug 2025 New York National Guard Promotions LATHAM Major General Ray Shields, the Adjutant General for the State of New York, announces the promotion of members of the New York Army National Guard in recognition of their capability... (more)
Daily Gazette -- Tue, 12 Aug 2025 Air Guard Lt. Col. Longlois retires after 42 years of service New York Air National Guard Lt. Col. Charles Longlois, a Mayfield resident, retired after a 42-year military career during a ceremony held at New York National Guard headquarters in Latham... (more)