The Silver Spring Civic Building is located at One Veterans Place in Downtown Silver Spring. The main room of the building was dedicated in 2018 as Buffalo Soldiers Great Hall to pay tribute to the Buffalo Soldiers unit that was formed by Congressional legislation in the 1860s that allowed African Americans to enlist in the United States military.
The County veterans featured in the tribute of photos, background information and details of accomplishments during their military careers and afterward include John Henry Chaney, Justin Davis, Jeremiah Floyd, Gloria Gardner, Elwood Gray, Arthur Holmes, Jr., Isiah Leggett, Vernon Ricks and William Smith.
As part of the Silver Spring celebration of Black History Month, SPARKLE (Senior Programs Aimed at Re-Kindling Lifetime Engagement), which is a collaboration of Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. and the Silver Spring Village, will sponsor a talk with Brigadier General Charles McGee at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at the Buffalo Soldiers Great Hall. Brigadier General McGee, who turned 100 in December, is the oldest living member of the Tuskegee Airmen. He flew 137 combat missions in World War II and went on to fly missions during the Korean War and in Vietnam.
Learn more about the Montgomery Commission on Veterans Affairs on the website.