Side A: In 1918, Charles Young made a desperate attempt to convince the U.S. Army that he was fit for duty. The Army’s highest-ranking Black officer, he had been medically retired and not given a command during World War I. To demonstrate his fitness, he rode 497 miles from his home in Wilberforce, Ohio, to Washington, D.C. Leaving on June 6 he made the journey in 17 days, 16 on horseback and 1 resting. Averaging 31 miles each day, he rode 45 minutes and walked 15 minutes every hour. Upon his arrival, Young met with Secretary of War Newton Baker. Pressured by the Black press and the White House, Baker hedged. He recalled Young to active duty a year later and assigned him to Camp Grant, Illinois, just five days before the end of the war.
Side B: On Friday, June 7, 1918, Colonel Young rode his horse 26 miles. He followed the road that is currently U.S. Route 22 to the east and stopped for the night in Circleville. Young’s cause garnered the support of the Black press and the War Department was being pressured by those for or against his reinstatement. “I am a Soldier and will do what my government orders,” Young drafted in a letter following his ride, “but I prefer service with troops.”
Sponsors: Ohio Department of Transportation, National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center, The Ohio History Connection
