Columbus proclaims March 12 as Brigadier General Charles Young Day

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - Columbus City Manager Isaiah Hugely announced Saturday the city’s proclamation to recognize March 12 as Brigadier General Charles Young Day.

Young, among many accomplishments, was the first Black colonel in the United states military and also a proud member of The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated.

Members of the Lambda Iota Fraternity extinguished guests and Columbus city leaders gathered at the Columbus Public Library to honor the late Brigadier General Charles T. Young.

They began the ceremony with a presentation about Young, who was born into slavery in 1864, becoming the first African American to accomplish many achievements in the U.S. Army.

“The third African American graduate of a U.S. military academy, first African American superintendent of U.S. National park, and the first African American person to achieve the title of Colonel in the U.S. army,” a speaker explained.

Guest speaker Retired Major General Abraham Turner says these things took endurance and perseverance - something he inspired the audience to continue on.

Major General Turner IS a war veteran with 35 years of active duty service including several deployments.

“Brother Charles Young helped me to endure,” Turner said. “Brother Charles Young set that example for me to push through, just as I would expect that all of you brothers here in this audience would be the examples for all these young men standing up wearing white shirts and purple ties. That’s your world, that’s your mission now to ensure that they see the model of what they should become.”

Young was posthumously promoted to the rank of brigadier general in January of this year.

In honor of his service and accomplishments, Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson signed the proclamation recognizing March 12 as Charles Young Day.

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