Tallahassee Buffalo Soldiers MC 42nd Chapter of the NABSTMCTM
National Association of Buffalo Soldiers & Troopers Motorcycle Club
NABSTMC & Chapter History
Kenneth 'Dream Maker' Thomas
Founder & President Emeritus
Believing that it was time to establish a modern progressive motorcycle club whose focus was to promote a positive image among African Americans that would be respected in the community and throughout the country, Kenneth 'Dream Maker' Thomas founded the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club of Chicago in October 1993.
The name Buffalo Soldiers was initially selected to pay homage to and ensure the legacy of African American military contributions in the post Civil War era. Under the leadership of Kenneth Thomas, the new club was chartered as the Buffalo Troopers Motorcycle Club of Chicago. Want to know more? Click
Buffalo Soldier History
A Long & Distinguished Military Career
In July 1917, Young was medically retired and promoted to colonel in recognition of his distinguished Army service. Young and his supporters asked for reconsideration of his retirement. To demonstrate his fitness to serve, Young, then 54, made a historic 500-mile horseback ride from Wilberforce, Ohio, to Washington, D.C. Afterwards, the Secretary of War gave Young an informal hearing, but did not reverse the decision.
Though medically retired, Young was retained on a list of active duty officers. During World War I, the War Department sent him back to Ohio to help muster and train African-American recruits for the war. Days before the November 11th, 1918 armistice, Young was assigned to Camp Grant (Illinois) to train black servicemen. Shortly thereafter, at the request of the State Department, Colonel Young was sent once more to serve as military attaché to Liberia, arriving in Monrovia, February 1920. While on a visit to Nigeria in late 1921 he became gravely ill and died at the British hospital in Lagos on January 8th, 1922. Due to British law, Young's body was buried in Lagos, Nigeria for one year before it could be repatriated to the United States for final interment.
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In the year after his death, Young's wife and many other notable African Americans lobbied the U.S. to repatriate Young's remains from Nigeria so he could receive a proper burial in American soil. One year later, Young's body was exhumed and transported back to the U.S. After arriving back in the U.S. in New York City in late May of 1923, Young's body received a hero's welcome. Thousands upon thousands celebrated Young's life as he made his way to the Washington, D.C. area. On June 1st, 1923, Colonel Charles Young became the fourth soldier honored with a funeral service at Arlington Memorial Amphitheater before burial in Arlington National Cemetery. After the memorial service, he was buried alongside the thousands of other heroes in Arlington National Cemetery.
On November 1, 2021, Charles Young was honorably and posthumously promoted to Brigadier General.
