Charles T. Norwood

The day an armistice was signed ending World War I was on Nov. 11, 1918 — 100 years ago today.
We remember this war and the American soldiers that fought in this war on this day Veterans Day, every year.
So much of the African American's of NC history and stories are not taught in our schools, not exhibited in the states museums, not written about or included in many of the books that White authors create, and is not shared or spoken about. As usual, it is purposely erased, colonized, buried, or only mentioned by other African Americans.
Keeping with our main purpose, We here at #ncmaahc would like to remember Private Charles T. Norwood who was from Raleigh, NC, and was Raleigh's first Black soldier to die in WWI.
We will continue to celebrate the lives of as many African American soldiers from NC that we can find information on. But, Today, we celebrate the Life of Private Charles T. Norwood.

During WWI, 367, 710 African Americans were drafted and roughly 400,00 served in the still segregated military. More than 200,00 served overseas. An estimated 750 servicemen died in combat, and another 5,000 were wounded.

Charles T. Norwood Bio
BY: Post 157 - Raleigh, North Carolina Apr 15, 2018
The Charles T. Norwood American Legion Post 157 was chartered December 19, 1924, five years after the National American Legion received its Congressional Charter. The Post was named to honor Pvt. Charles T. Norwood who served with Company H, 365 Infantry, 92nd Infantry Division. Pvt. Norwood was wounded on November 11, 1918 just hours before the Armistice to end World War I was set to begin. Pvt. Norwood died from his wounds and Lobar Pneumonia on January 17, 1919 making him the first Black solider to be killed from Raleigh, North Carolina during World War I. Pvt. Charles T. Norwood was buried in the Raleigh National Cemetery on August 21, 1921. He is buried in Section 8 Site 1226
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Raleigh’s first Black soldier to die in WWI was wounded on the day the war ended
The first African-American soldier from Raleigh to be killed in World War I was wounded on Nov. 11, 1918, which was Armistice Day. That commemoration is now part of Veterans Day. The Army soldier was Charles T. Norwood, who is buried in Raleigh National Cemetery.


BY DAWN BAUMGARTNER VAUGHAN

November 10, 2018 04:56 PM
Updated November 10, 2018 05:19 PM

RALEIGH

The day an armistice was signed ending World War I on Nov. 11, 1918 — 100 years ago — was also the day Raleigh soldier Charles T. Norwood was wounded. He later died, becoming the first African-American soldier from Raleigh who died in World War I.

American Legion Post 157 in Raleigh is named for Norwood. Members of the post marched in the North Carolina Veterans Day Parade in downtown Raleigh on Saturday.

According to the American Legion, Norwood was an Army private who served with Company H, 365 Infantry, 92nd Infantry Division. At the time he lived with his mother, Emmeline Norwood, on East Lane Street, according to a newspaper clipping.

During World War I, African-American soldiers in the U.S. Army were segregated from white soldiers and assigned to units led by white officers, according to a war exhibit now on display at the N.C. Museum of History in downtown Raleigh.

Two African-American combat divisions served in France: The 92nd Division, where Norwood was assigned, served in the American Expeditionary Force and fought in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, according to the museum. The other division was the 93rd Division, which served with the French army.

Charles T. Norwood, 23, was wounded in France on Nov. 11, 1918, and died from his wounds and pneumonia on Jan. 17, 1919. The American Legion post in Raleigh was named for him when it was chartered in 1924. Norwood was buried in the Raleigh National Cemetery in 1921.

“It’s just a great blessing to be here today to honor (Norwood),” said American Legion member Willie Pulley, who marched in the Veterans Day parade. Pulley, the post chaplain, is an Army veteran.

Post member James Whitaker, also retired from the Army like Pulley, said that it means a lot to be in the American Legion post named for Norwood. Whitaker said the post, which meets at Martin Street Baptist Church, works to help families in the community at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
In a ceremony on the N.C. Capitol grounds after the parade, U.S. Army Col. (ret.) Martin Falls noted that it was “on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, the guns of World War I fell silent across Europe, and America’s doughboys started coming home.”

The parade Saturday morning including high school marching bands, high school JROTC groups, the Triangle chapter of Veterans for Peace, Scouts groups and veterans groups.
Source:https://www.newsobserver.com/.../article221422570.html...

Source:https://centennial.legion.org/.../charles-t-norwood-bio