WILBERFORCE, Ohio -- Soldier, statesman, linguist, musician, teacher, leader and pioneer all describe Col. Charles Young, an Ohioan who became the first black to become a full colonel in the U.S. Army.
Born to slaves in Kentucky, he was also the third black to graduate from West Point and a logical historic figure to profile during Black History Month. One important word missing from his resume is "general," because many believe he was denied the honor of that rank due to his race.
The National Park Service is making sure that the scope and scale of Young's achievements will be better known and preserved for posterity.
President Barack Obama in 2013 authorized creation of the Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers Monument in Wilberforce. At the same time, he approved the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument in Maryland.
Last month, it was announced that Joy Kinard will be the first superintendent of the Young monument.
In a recent interview Kinard said, "I am thrilled about coming to Ohio. It is a freedom state, a destination (on the underground railroad) that was paramount, to go there was so important," she said. "To become a transplanted Ohioan would be an honor."
Kinard, who has a doctorate in U.S. history from Howard University, said Obama entrusted the National Park Service with the stewardship of Young's legacy.
"Col. Charles Young's story has never been adequately told on a national scale," Kinard said. "There are so many people reaping the benefits of his hard work."
As a young second lieutenant at Fort Duchesne, Utah, Young mentored a sergeant major named Benjamin O. Davis Sr., who would become the first black to become a general.
Young joined the faculty of what was then Wilberforce College to establish the military-science curriculum there. By the time he left to train troops in 1898 for the war with Spain, the program boasted more than 100 cadets. Wilberforce, now a university, considers itself the oldest private historic black college in the country.
Raised in Ripley, Ohio, Young came to view Wilberforce as his home and would return even when his duties took him around the world. Young also made his mark on the college because he helped form and direct the marching band. He had already created a marching band when he served at an Army outpost.
The National Park Service recognizes Young as the first black superintendent of a national park. The Army was responsible for managing, maintaining and protecting the national parks in the early 20th century. Young, who had become a captain by 1903, was sent to Sequoia National Park that summer along with his troops to build roads. Many are still in service.
Because Young led the troops, he also had the title of acting superintendent of the park in California. He went on to serve as a military attache in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Liberia.
Young saw combat in the Philippine-American War at the turn of the century and served with distinction on the Punitive Expedition into Mexico in 1916.
He missed service in World War I because of alleged medical issues that forced him into retirement. That remains a debated topic. Some argue he had health issues. Others say it was a pretext to keep him from becoming a general.
In any case, he was fit enough to ride 500 miles on horseback from Wilberforce to Washington D.C. He never gained full reinstatement to active duty, but was kept on a list of active-duty officers and returned to Liberia in 1920 as a military attache.
On a visit to Nigeria, Young became ill -- possibly from something he contracted on an earlier tropical posting -- and died in a British hospital. His body came home the following year, and he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
The house where he lived near the Wilberforce campus is the center of the national monument that honors him and the Buffalo Soldiers that he led for part of his career.
The park service said the house is not open to the public on a regular basis, but does host special events. Work continues on the house and exhibits are planned. No date has been set for the monument to be open year-round. Visitors are welcome to explore the grounds.
Cleveland has a monument to Young. It was completed in 2000 and is at Col. Charles Young Square at East 46th Street and Prospect Avenue.