ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. — Dozens gathered at the Rock Island National Cemetery on Juneteenth to pay tribute to a group of African American soldiers once stationed in Rock Island.
It was part of a ceremony hosted by a local organization: Honoring the 108th USCT.
"A lot of our stories, a lot of our heritage, a lot of things have been glazed over," Command Sgt. Maj. James E. Brown, who gave a speech at Wednesday's event, said.
The 108th United States Colored Troops (USCT) infantry was one of 170 Civil War regiments comprised of formerly enslaved and free Black men. The 108th USCT was formed in Kentucky before being transferred to the Rock Island Prison Barracks in 1864, which is now the site of the Rock Island Arsenal. In Rock Island, the soldiers served as guards at a prison that held Confederate soldiers.
"We know that most of these men were slaves," Shellie Moore Guy said. Her great-great-grandfather served in the 108th USCT. "They were freed only when they enlisted," she added.
Fellow veterans, community members and descendants of the soldiers came to the cemetery to honor their service.
50 soldiers died during the regiment's time in Rock Island. Those men are buried at Rock Island National Cemetery.
"It's up to you to want to know more," Moore Guy said about people understanding history, "open up the books. Google. That's how I found out a lot of my information.
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