East Valley lawmaker's bill for Buffalo Soldiers monument clears house

Another attempt to install a monument honoring Arizona’s Buffalo Soldiers at Wesley Bolin Plaza has cleared the house and is on its way to the Senate.

House Bill 2062, the Buffalo Soldiers Arizona Territory Monument, was passed by the house on Feb. 17 on a vote of 57-0-3. It has been assigned to the Senate’s government and rules committees.

The bill was introduced by Rep. Walter Blackman, R-Apache Junction, who thanked house members for supporting the monument.

“It is legislation that is far, far overdue for this military unit. The monument is paid for. All they need to do is put it in the ground,” Blackman said. “I think it’s a tribute to their service to our state and what they’ve done for our state, and I appreciate all your support on this and I am thankful for you voting for this bill.”

Efforts to install the monument at the state Capitol have been ongoing since 2017, when it was proposed by the Arizona Centennial Legacy Buffalo Soldiers of the Arizona Territory out of Mesa. The group raised the funds needed for the monument, which has been ready for installation since 2022.

Deputy Cmdr. Michelle London-Marable of the Arizona Centennial Legacy Buffalo Soldiers of the Arizona Territory said that in 2024, erection of the monument was stymied because there was a move to try to include the names of other Buffalo Soldiers organizations from around the state that had not been involved with designing or raising the money for the memorial.

“We are very happy because I believe it’s time, because there’s no need for us to go through a fourth extension due to no fault of our own,” she said.

London-Marable also praised Blackman for shepherding the bill in this session.

“I’m just so proud of him because he knows the significance of why this monument is so important in the state of Arizona and he knows what we have been going through,” she said. “So, thank God for him. He’s an Army man too.”

The Buffalo Soldiers were formed in 1866 as the 9th and 10th Cavalry, and the 24th and 25th Infantry Divisions, mostly protecting the Arizona Territory. At one time, all Buffalo Soldier regiments were headquartered in Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista. The 92nd and 93rd Infantry Divisions, the only Black divisions in World War II, were also stationed in Fort Huachuca.

The Buffalo Soldiers served until 1951, when the 24th Infantry, last serving in the Korean War, was disbanded after the U.S. military was desegregated.

Monuments to the Buffalo Soldiers exist in Tucson and Sierra Vista, and there is an exhibit about them inside the state Capitol. In addition, Camp Naco along the Arizona-Mexico, which housed some Buffalo Soldiers as the Mexican Revolution raged, is being restored.

Blackman, who served in the military, is affiliated with the 10th Cavalry. Other military veterans on the government committee voiced their support for placing the Buffalo Soldiers monument in Wesley Bolin Plaza during the Jan. 12 hearing.

“I also spent some time at Fort Huachuca as a brand-new second lieutenant,” said Rep. Aaron Márquez, D-Phoenix. “Being from Arizona, I think this is one of the proudest pieces of history that we have for our state in American military history.”

Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, D-Bisbee, said she was heartened by seeing youngsters from the Arizona Centennial Legacy Buffalo Soldiers of the Arizona Territory attended the hearing.

“I don’t know how many times I’ve been here and voted on this bill,” she said. “I’m hoping that this is the year that we get it across the finish line.”

Janet Perez can be reached at jperez@iniusa.org. Please send your comments about this article to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.