One of my first patients I was assigned to when I graduated from nursing school was an elderly black gentleman - a "Mr. Grover". Mr. Grover stood about my height (5'5"),but had the muscular physique of a much younger man. No one knew how old he was, and Mr. Grover said he "didn't have no papers cause he was born in the back of a wagon". He claimed to have been a blacksmith and mule skinner, and he also claimed to have been a Buffalo Soldier. Based on his physique, I had no doubts to his claims of having been a blacksmith. Oh, one other issue that Mr. Grover had was that he was suffering from dementia. If he decided he didn't care for your asking him to take a pill, or allow you to give him an insulin injection, well, let's just say that things could get real interesting. I found that by asking Mr. Grover about his past life, it would calm him down, and you wouldn't have to fight with him. Also, as a history buff, I found his stories fascinating.

One day, I asked Mr. Grover if he could remember any famous battles he had served in during his career in the military. I was surprised when he said he had served in the Pancho Villa "Punitive Expedition": Pancho Villa Expedition - Wikipedia

I was absolutely fascinated by this and asked Mr. Grover for more details such as his unit, his commanding officers, etc. Mr. Grover said his only recollection was that he was a Buffalo Soldier, and that was also his unit. Pressing for more information, I asked him what he was armed with. His answer was "a shovel". No, that couldn't be correct. He probably meant a 1903 Springfield rifle, or a 1911 Colt pistol in .45ACP, or maybe even a Krag Jorgenson rifle, or some other type of firearm in the U.S. Army inventory, but certainly not a shovel.

When I asked Mr. Grover again about his personal weapon, he again replied "a shovel". The look on my face must have spoken volumes to him, and Mr. Grover explained "boy, they wasn't going to let a black man with a gun stand behind no white officers". Oh, that made sense, and also told me that Mr. Grover might have had a problem with his temper, as well as with discipline and/or authority as a younger man.

Thus endeth my Buffalo Soldier and Pancho Villa story.

Regards,

Dave