On April 22, 1919, S.H. Love—a World War I veteran born in 1893 in Colt, Arkansas—was granted a U.S. patent for an improvement to military firearms. During his service in Europe, Love was known for his inventive thinking and even claimed to have passed along the concept for a draw-style theater curtain, a design still used today. While his curtain idea was never patented under his name, his recognized innovation in firearms technology marked a significant contribution by a Black American inventor during the postwar period. Love’s work is a testament to the often-overlooked ingenuity and service of African American soldiers in military history and invention.
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