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Keywords: Spike Lee, movie, Miracle at St. Anna, Buffalo Soldiers, World War II, American military, Congress, Spike Lee joint, Blacks in the military

It's not really clear how they got their name. Some speculate that the American Indian population thought they resembled buffalos. Another story says they often wore buffalo hides in winter in the 1800s West. But one thing is clear: Buffalo Soldiers, infantries of Black men who fought in numerous American wars from the Revolutionary War to World War II, often fought in the harshest conditions. They were always segregated, although at times they were led by white commanding officers.

And sadly, their incredible work too often went unnoticed by the American people and Hollywood--until now.

Film director Spike Lee's new film, "Miracle at St. Anna," tells the story of the Buffalo Soldiers who fought in the 92nd Infantry of World War II.

While the film is scheduled for release on Sept. 26, it's important to have historical perspective on the Buffalo Soldiers before seeing it--something Lee agrees with.

According to many historical accounts, the Buffalo Soldiers often faced hatred from their white counterparts in the military. In fact, prior to World War II, there were at least three known instances of violence against a Black soldier on American soil--all during times of peace.

Also, prior to World War II, Buffalo Soldiers were often used in the harshest conditions to perform non-combat tasks, such as digging graves for dead servicemen and keeping accounts of the dead. But as World War II approached, many of the soldiers were put into the 92nd Infantry, which ultimately was sent to take part in the invasion of Italy. These events serve as the basis for the novel Miracle at St. Anna and Lee's cinematic adaptation.

According to the web site www.BuffaloSoldiers.com--which offers a chronological look at Black soldiers in America--the division chronicled in the film "lost momentum" and was forced by much stronger German troops to retreat in an extremely disorganized fashion.

The site says: "During fighting along the Gothic line in Italy, the 92nd Infantry lost momentum and was forced into a disorderly retreat by the experienced German troops defending this series of fortifications across the peninsula. The division commander, Major Gen. Edward M. Almond, and his staff resorted to racist remarks to explain the division's initial combat failure. Actually, though, problems such as lack of communication, a poorly organized plan of attack, missing white officers, conflicting orders, untested troops and the confusion of battle were actually to blame. The basic problem, however, was a serious lack of unit cohesion and trust between white officers and Black soldiers.

"In fact, most of the latter blamed Almond's racism, claiming that the division commander was so prejudiced that he hoped the episode would discredit the entire race. Truman Gibson, who had replaced Judge William Hastie, issued a report in 1945 that attributed most of the 92nd division's problems to the U.S. Army's policy of racial segregation." (Gibson was, at the time he issued the report, a civilian adviser to Secretary of War Henry Stimson).

"Unfortunately, the white press focused on certain phrases in the report that seemed to imply that Black soldiers did not perform well in combat. Despite their subsequent combat successes, the division's reputation (like that of the 93rd in the Pacific) remained unfairly sullied by this incident."

And while it took many years before the Buffalo Soldiers received any official credit for the incredibly dangerous and brave work they performed--not just during World War II, but throughout American history--it's Lee's movie that will perhaps bring the greatest amount of light to these men.

In the trailer for "Miracle at St. Anna," it appears the film, which begins in the 1980s, flashes back to World War II, when the Buffalo Soldiers were in Italy.

In addition to a series of theatrical previews, you can also find out a lot more about the movie by clicking here for the film's official web site.

Click here to read a review of "Miracle at St. Anna" in the San Francisco Chronicle.

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