Year: 2015

Buffalo Soldiers roll into Columbia

Undaunted by rain, Buffalo Soldiers on motorcycles stopped at Zion Hill Cemetery on Saturday to honor the memory of African-American soldiers buried there. The visit was part of a daylong observance that included stops at several local cemeteries, including those in Marietta and Lancaster. 
According to Wikipedia: 
The Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club (NABSMC) is a Black (African-American) motorcycle club in the United States, named for the historic African-American United States Army regiments known as Buffalo Soldiers, seen in their patch.[1][2][3][4] It is one of the biggest Black motorcycles clubs in the USA and the biggest African American motorcycle club in Chicago, with 97 chapters as of 2012,[5] with over 2000 members across the USA.[6][7]
The full Wikipedia article is HERE.
The Buffalo Soldiers gathered under the Route 30 overpass near Zion Hill Cemetery after riding from Marietta in a steady rain.
 On the cemetery grounds, members explained the history and focus of the organization . . . 

 and several portrayed persons from the past who had served in various wars.

 Soldiers had lined up in the rain before marching into Zion Hill.

 A soldier told the tale of his character from history.

 Darlene Colon, an actress who has portrayed Lydia Hamilton-Smith at several venues, adopted the role of a female soldier – an actual historical figure.

 Soldiers listened to the ceremony as the rain continued . . .

 . . . and a bugler played “Taps.”

As the ceremony ended, soldiers marched from the grounds and mounted motorcycles for a trip to Lancaster.
Addendum:
Columbia Spy first encountered the Buffalo Soldiers at Sheetz in Marietta, as they left to visit a cemetery up the road. They had assured us they would visit Zion Hill – and so they did.

Police search for missing 15-year-old girl from Columbia | lancasteronline.com

A 15-year-old girl from Columbia has been missing since Friday night, according to police.
Columbia Borough police are searching for Hannah Fleckenstein, 15, who was reported missing by her parents at 12:14 p.m Saturday.
Hannah was last seen at 11:30 p.m. Friday in her home at 1020 Chestnut Street. She may be in Columbia or Millersville, police said.
Hannah’s mom, Christina Fleckenstein, said her daughter is a freshman at Lancaster Mennonite High School.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Columbia Borough Police Department at 684-7735.

FDNY Battalion Chief Helmet protected two firefighters on 9/11

      (Photo taken in 2012 at 9/11 Memorial Museum, NYC)

From the exhibit shown above:
“On the morning of September 11, 2001, Battalion Chief Brian O’Flaherty witnessed the hijacked Flight 175 strike the South Tower of the World Trade Center from his post in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Chief O’Flaherty responded to a command center inside the Marriott Hotel (3 WTC), a strategic location between the two towers. When the South Tower collapsed, showering steel and other debris onto the hotel, O’Flaherty was wounded. He gave his battered helmet to Battalion Chief Edward Henry, who had lost his own helmet during the chaos. Henry left the lobby, intent on aiding those in distress, while O’Flaherty remained inside to provide assistance to the injured. Both men survived, despite injuries, a fact that Chief O’Flaherty attributes in part to the helmet that protected them both.”