By Alabama Public Radio
Huntsville AL – Ground was broken yesterday for a memorial to The Buffalo Soldiers at the Academy for Academics and Arts magnet school in northwest Huntsville. The memorial recognizes the 9th and 10th Cavalry regiments of black soldiers, who have been honored for their actions in combat, including the Battle of San Juan Hill in Cuba where future President Teddy Roosevelt led the charge. The new memorial will feature a bronze statue of a Buffalo Soldier on horseback with a flag in hand. The statue was unveiled at the Academy back in February. Organizers are still trying raise about 280-thousand dollars to finish the memorial's construction. That money is expected to come from donations and from an appropriation by the Huntsville City Council.