Your troops have been admirable in their attack.  You must be proud of the courage of your officers and men, and I consider it an honor to have them under my command.  The bravery and dash of your regiment won the admiration of the Moroccan Division, who are themselves versed in warfare.  Thanks to you, during these hard days, the division was at all times in advance of all other divisions of the Army Corps.  I am sending you all my thanks and beg you to transmit them to your subordinates.  I call on your wounded.  Their morale is higher than any praise.

The high honor of having its flag decorated with the Croix de Guerre was bestowed upon the regiment in the city of Brest just a few days before it embarked for the return to America.  Vice Admiral Moreau, the French commander of the port of Brest, officially represented his government in, the ceremony.  It was intended as France’s appreciation of the services of these Negro fighters.

The decoration took place at one of the most prominent points in the city and was witnessed by thousands of French soldiers and civilians, as well as by sailors and soldiers of several nations.

One of the conspicuous components of the 372nd was the battalion, formed from what formerly was known as the 1st Separate Battalion of the District of Columbia National Guard.  This famous old Washington organization has a long, proud history.  Many of the members were veterans of the Spanish-American war.  At the close of the European war, the organization numbered 480 men from the city of Washington, twenty of whom had been decorated one or more times for individual bravery under fire.

The battalion was first assembled at Potomac Park on the Speedway in Washington, shortly after the declaration of war.  The men spent almost half a year at the camp, during which time they had the important assignment of guarding railway and highway bridges and adjacent points around the National Capitol.  They also had the proud distinction of guarding the secret archives and departments at Washington, a duty which required unquestioned loyalty and for which the Negroes were well selected.

It seemed at the time an inconspicuous bit of war time soldiering, and they were long trying days to the men.  But it was a service which required intelligence and nerve, as the likelihood was great that the enemy’s agents in this country would strike in the vicinity of the seat of government.  That such responsible duty was delegated to the Negroes was a high compliment from the military authorities.  The manner in which they discharged the duty is shown in the fact that no enemy depredations of any consequence occurred in the vicinity of Washington.

After a period of training at Camp Stewart, Newport News, Va., the battalion was sent to France.  Its colored commander was dead.  Other colored officers were soon superseded, leaving the chaplain, Lieutenant Arrington Helm, the only colored officer attached to the organization.