On This Day in History June 15, 1877: Former slave Henry Ossian Flipper (March 21, 1856 - April 26,

On This Day in History June 15, 1877: Former slave Henry Ossian Flipper (March 21, 1856 - April 26, 1940) becomes the first African American cadet to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point. Flipper graduated 50th out of 76 and earned a commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. Flipper also holds the distinction of being the first non-white officer to lead the Buffalo soldiers of the 10th Calvary. While he served with distinction in a number of the battles against the Native population in the Southwest, he was brought up on charges of embezzlement. He would be court-martialed and dismissed from the United States Army on June 30, 1882. For years Flipper’s descendants would plead for an investigation to the charges and dismissal of Flipper. While in 1976, an investigation found that the punishment against Flipper was "unduly harsh and unjust" compared to white officers charged with the same crime, Flipper’s status would be changed to an honorable discharge but there was no full pardon by the military. 117-years after his death, Second Lieutenant Henry Ossian Flipper would be posthumously pardoned by President Bill Clinton on February 19, 1999. In doing so, President Clinton made history in issuing the first posthumous Presidential pardon in the history of the United States. On a side note, Flipper was also responsible for what is now known as the Flipper Ditch. Flipper was assigned as the engineer at Fort Sill, in what was then referred to as the Indian Territory in what is today’s state of Oklahoma. He was tasked with surveying and supervising the construction of a drainage system to eliminate the stagnant ponds blamed for causing malaria. He was able to successful stem the tide of the stagnant ponds by eliminating them and mosquitos that transmitted malaria. #HenryOssianFlipper #FirstAfricanAmericanCadettoGraduateFromWestPoint #BlackHistory #BlackStudies #BlackHistoryMatters #AfricanAmericanHistory #AfricanAmericanStudies #MilitaryHistory #UnitedStatesMilitaryAcademy #WestPoint #AmericanHistory #USHistory #History #Historia #Histoire #Geschichte #HistorySisco https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce1LnxduUyi/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI= -- source link

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