A Soldier's Story: Colonel Myles Anderson Paige



Colonel Myles Anderson Paige was born on July 18, 1898, in Montgomery, Alabama.

A member of the 15th New York National Guard, he deployed with the 369th Infantry to France for World War I, where the regiment earned the nickname the "Harlem Hellfighters" and spent a total of whopping 191 days on the front line -more than any other unit.

He attended Howard University, where he played football, and after graduation, entered Columbia Law School while also working as an assistant librarian.

He passed the New York State bar in 1925. Colonel Myles Anderson Paige began working with the Attorney General of New York before being appointed to the Magistrates Court. Then, in 1939, he was appointed to the Court of Special Sessions, becoming the first American of African descent to be appointed as a criminal court judge in New York.

Colonel Myles Anderson Paige returned to active duty during World War II, assigned to a command post with the Third Separate Battalion. He retired from military life in 1945.

He was active in Catholic organizations and an active participant in Civil Rights.

On March 30, 1983, Colonel Paige died and rests at the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.

* Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here*

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a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia. 

In addition to the travel writings at www.takethebackroads.com, you can also read her book reviews at www.riteoffancy.com and US military biographies at www.everydaypatriot.com

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Location: Montgomery, AL, USA

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