Black Soldiers during World War I

Andrew Purnell Jr. (1898-1975) was born in Selma, Alabama. He joined the all-Black 303rd Stevedore Regiment (with later unit designations) in December 1917. Private Purnell was stationed in Bordeaux, France. He returned to the U.S. in 1919, married, and worked as a railroad freight handler. Like many service members, Purnell kept cards, letters, photographs, and souvenirs from his time in the military.