Europe, James Reese, 1881-1919
During World War I, Europe enlisted in the armed services as a private, passed an officer's exam and became a lieutenant. As an officer he was assigned to the New York 15th Infantry in Harlem and was told to form a band. On New Year's day, 1918, Europe and the band traveled to France and were assigned combat duty under French command. Europe thus became the first African-American officer to lead combat troops into battle. The New York 15th Infantry was later renamed the 369th Infantry, also known as the Harlem Hellfighters. Europe with introducing a form of music that later became known as jazz.
After World War I ended Europe returned to the U.S. where he died in 1919 after a backstage altercation with Herbert White, (a drummer in his band) who stabbed him in the neck and severed an artery.
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| Publication Date | Publishing Account | Status | Note | View |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2018-02-21 01:02:58 pm |
Dina Herbert |
published |
User published constellation |
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2018-02-06 10:02:22 am |
Dina Herbert |
published |
User published constellation |
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2016-08-11 11:08:15 am |
System Service |
published |
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2016-08-11 11:08:14 am |
System Service |
ingest cpf |
Initial ingest from EAC-CPF |
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