Black History Month 2024
We remember and thank some of our Prince William County Veterans during Black History Month!
Our story of local African American heroes at the Freedom Museum begins in WWI. In those days, 1917 specifically, Prince William County and Manassas were essentially farming communities in which the Railroad passed on the way from Washington DC to Richmond. Woodrow Wilson authorized the draft and African Americans like Harry Hatcher, and his brother of Gainesville VA answered the call! They deployed to France in the 372nd Infantry Regiment, First Separate Battalion. Harry gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country and was killed near the French town of Monthois. He is buried in the American Cemetery in the Muse Argonne. We remember him this month and his brother.
We pay tribute to Staff Sergeant Leroy Alexander, of Dale City, Virginia who was assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (AFG) (Airborne).Sergeant Alexander entered the Army in August 1997 and completed one Station Unit Training, at Fort Lenard Wood, Missouri. After completing airborne training at Fort Benning, Georgia, in April 1998, he was assigned to 27th Engineer Battalion, at Fort Bragg, in support of XVIII Airborne Corps. Following completion of Special Forces Assessment and Selection, Alexander arrived at the 1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne) in October 2002 to begin the, more than two years, of intense training to become a Special Forces Engineer Sergeant. He was assigned to 7th SFG in June 2004’ Sergeant Alexander was killed in action on the 3rd of June 2005 when an improvised explosion detonated near his Ground Mobility Vehicle during operations in Afghanistan. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington VA. His courage and dedication will forever be remembered and honored. Let us never forget the sacrifices that have been given as we reflect on his legacy.
This man truly needs no introduction and we are honored to tell part of his story.
Colonel Ulysses Xerxes “Xerk” White was commissioned a ‘Reserve Second Lieutenant of Artillery in the United States Army’ on June 1, 1953. He was assigned to a Seventh Army Air Defense Unit in West Germany. In the summer of 1957, he was commissioned in the Army of the United States. During the remaining 25 Years, Col. White received various state side and overseas military assignments (two tours in Korea and one tour in Vietnam plus additional schooling and promotions). In March 1975, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel. He retired from the Army in June 1981. During the past 40 years, Col. White has been active as a volunteer in the Manassas community. He served on the Manassas City Planning Commission as Vice Chair, he served as a member of the Board of Directors of the local American Red Cross Chapter, he is the co-founder of the Prince William County Chapter of Habitat for Humanity, he has served for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources Board, and he served on the Commonwealth Transportation Board . He is a member of American Legion, Post 114, where he served as Commander. He is also the Co-founder and President of the Society for the Preservation of Black Heritage in Greater Manassas. Continuing to be a strong leader for the community he also served on the Manassas City Council , as well as, Board of Trustees of Preservation Virginia (APVA). Xerk has served on numerous other boards and has been an instrumental part of our community. He has been in active service to his country and his community for his entire life. We thank him for his service.
Vice Admiral Samuel Lee Gravely Jr. His story here may be summarized, but as you read, you'll see his career made a lasting impression in our U.S. Navy. Vice Admiral Gravely began his illustrious career as a seaman apprentice at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois, in 1942. A native of Richmond, Virginia, Gravely would go on to be the U.S. Navy’s first African-American commander, captain, rear admiral, and vice admiral. He was commissioned in 1944 and served during World War II onboard USS PC-1264. After the war, Gravely had a brief stint in the civilian world before he was recalled to active duty in 1949. He would remain on active duty until his retirement in 1980. In the 1960s, Gravely served as executive officer and acting commander of USS Theodore E. Chandler (DD-717), commanded USS Falgout (DER-324), helped integration efforts at the Naval War College, served in the Defense Communications Agency, commanded USS Taussig (DD-746), and served as coordinator of the Navy’s satellite communications program. In 1971, while Gravely served as commander of USS Jouett (DLG-29), he was selected for flag rank. His flag commands included the Naval Communications Command, Cruiser-Destroyer Group Two, the Eleventh Naval District, Third Fleet, and the Defense Communications Agency. In 1976, while serving as commander of Third Fleet, Gravely was promoted to vice admiral. Over the course of his distinguished career as a surface warfare officer, he received many high-level awards to include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, and the Navy Commendation Medal. After retirement from the Navy, Gravely kept busy working with the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association. He passed in 2004 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. His family resides now in Haymarket, VA where Gravely Elementary School was named in honor of Vice Admiral Gravely. His lasting memory in the U.S Navy includes the USS Gravely (DDG-107) named in his honor. His namesake ship is serving today in the Red Sea.
