On this day, the armistice was signed, ending World War I. Official U.S. military records show that approximately 370,000 African American soldiers served during the war, with over 1,400 Black commissioned officers. A little more than half of these troops served in the European Theater.

Three all-Black regiments — the 369th, 371st, and 372nd Infantry Regiments — were awarded the Croix de Guerre, France’s highest military honor, for their extraordinary bravery and valor in combat. The 369th Infantry Regiment, famously known as the Harlem Hellfighters, was the first African American regiment to serve with the American Expeditionary Forces. They spent more time in continuous combat than any other American unit and were widely celebrated for their courage and effectiveness on the battlefield.