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
NationalGuard.mil -- Thu, 26 Jun 2025 New York Guard Trains for Disaster Response NIAGARA FALLS AIR RESERVE STATION, N.Y. One hundred New York National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from across the state participated in Operation Buffalo Falls, a Homeland Response Force (HRF)... (more)
Times Union -- Tue, 17 Jun 2025 Churchill: We need a greater honor for Albany's Henry Johnson In light of Donald Trump's decision to strip the hero's name from a Louisiana Army base, Assemblyman John McDonald is proposing to rename the Patroon Island Bridge in Johnson's... (more)
27East.com -- Mon, 16 Jun 2025 Malloy Promoted to Chief Master Sergeant in the New York Air National Guard Riverhead resident Timothy Daniel Malloy was promoted to chief master sergeant in the New York Air National Guard, during a ceremony on June 6 at the 106th Rescue Wing firehouse at Francis... (more)