WWI Symposium Huge Succes !
Message: From Henri Goybet to the Symposium
Dear Anne I took the decision 15 days ago to come to the Symposium in Columbia but 5 days ago i had a problem to resolve in November In France and i will not be able to come this time.
I consider as an honor to be invited by you and the Symposium and i regret of not being in
I regret also not being here in such an historical moment for African American Community and the world itsel.
I would like in my name and in the name of my great grand father you do during the Symposium the reading
of the following citations of my great Grand Father :
General Order No. 234
“I am proud to forward you herewith the thanks and congratulations of General Garnier-Duplessix and I want at the same time, dear friends of all ranks Americans and French, to tell you as your leader and as soldier, from the bottom of my heart how grateful, I am to you all for the glory you have acquired for our splendid 157th Division.
In these nine hard days of battle you have pushed ahead for eight kilometers , fought powerful enemy organization , captured close to 600 prisoners , taken 15 guns light and heavy , 20 infantry Mortars and artillery ammunition and brought down by rifle 3 aeroplanes . The red hand of this division is now in truth a blood- reeking hand . I grappled the Boche at the throat and made him yell for mercy. Our glorious comrades who died are well avenged.”
General Order No. 245
Dear Friends of America you will be back home to the other side of the ocean, don’ t forget ‘’ The Red Hand Division. ‘’ .”
General Order No. 248
Officers, Non-commissioned Officers, sappers, soldiers, gunners and cavalry men of the 157th Division :
“The Marshal of France, commander in chief of the French Army, has ordered the dissolution of our division on
During our mutual life, the powerful bonds which kept us together have been tightened by the sorrow of our cruel losses, as well as in then joy of victory. You gave me your confidence. In my turn I have given you the most precious thing I have to give: MY MILITARY HONOR. It has been put in good hands. With my soldier’s heart I think you.”
“The Divisions elements will be distributed in other organizations. You will take with your traditions of courage, discipline and affection to your new chiefs. To those who will ask were you come from, you will answer with pride, ‘We are the soldiers of the Division Goybet, the Division with the Red Hand: it was a fine Division! And you will give a proof of it by you conduct, In the memory of our dear dead I piously kiss the sacred folds of your banners. They have been worn out in the battle , they now wave on the winds of victory .”
General Goybet
In Conclusion i would like you tell the conviction of the great grand son of Mariano who admire the bravery of those troops .
“The valiant conduct of black troops in the World War, their loyalty, their self-sacrifice in front of danger, their blood poured with bravery in fields of shell and under the machine-gun bullets helped I think colored [African Americans] people to be more conscious of their rights because they were very proud to save the world from the barbarian and they felt not only citizens of [the] USA but citizens of the world with all the rights that goes with that new world citizenship .”
Henri Goybet , Grandson of General Goybet who commanded black troops to freedom the nations in the World War.
November, 2nd, 2008
Have A good symposium my sister in arms and i will be with you all, in my heart
Signed : Henri Goybet Great Grand son of the general goybet commanding the 157th Red Hand Division.
Article from The Regimental Courier (http://www.imakenews.com/bcb/e_article001266076.cfm?x=b11,0,w)
On Saturday, November 15th, the museum hosted a WWI military history symposium. The day-long event featured guest lecturers Lt. Colonel (Ret) Robert L. Brown, Les Jensen and Dr. Mitch Yockelson. Robert Brown, Adjunct Professor at USC Sumter, spoke on the WWI experiences of his grandfather, Robert T. Brown, as well as aviaton superstitions. 
The day included presentations from WWI living historians. Bruce Cotner did a lively impression of a local contractor hired to help build Camp Jackson, located here in Columbia (now Fort Jackson). Dane Coffman did a wonderful impression of General John Pershing. Jeffrey Mosser did a great job with his AEF doughboy impression. Jay Callaham delighted folks with his MP impression and 30th Division collection.
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The Symposium went well and you were missed very much!
Date : 16/11/2008
From Anne Clarkson
Hello my brother, well I thought I would tell you how things went today at the museum.
First of all they had a special table set up in the main area just for me and my guest and my military display. I got to sit there for the entire function, right up front where I could see everything. After the introductions I was invited up to read your letter to a large crowd of military history enthusiast and museum curators. I discovered later that many of them came to the Symposium when they discovered that I would be there with the Red Hand Flag. Before I read the letter, I told them about you and your Great Grand father, how I met you and how your Great Grand father was the commander of troop in WWI. I explained what a wonderful person you are and what an honor it was to have a letter from you. Then I read the letter. Everyone there was VERY impressed and moved by both the words of your Great Grand father and the words that you added at the bottom of your note. There was a moment of quiet after I finished the letter then they all applauded!
After my reading there was a 15 minute break and almost everyone in the room came to my table where the flag was to thank me for reading the letter, to ask for copies of the letter and to see the flag. I met one young lady who had decided to write her college thesis on World War I from the French perspective after hearing about your Great Grand Father and she would like to have your email address if that is okay with you <g>. Apparently, you are a very popular and important man here in South Carolina and the people at the museum were really honored to have received the letter and would have LOVED to have met you. So you and your Great Grand Father are again heroes in the eyes of the people of South Carolina, or at least the ones I met today. I will have to keep my eyes open to see if there are any articles in the paper about this .
Rest well brother and I will write again
Anne
Thanks Anne : You HAVE BEEN MY VOICE FOR THE SYMPOSIUM AND Y KNOW YOU DID IT WELL
Signed Henri Goybet : Your Brother In Arms
Website The Long March Home : Anne Clarkson
