Courtesy: Sewickley Valley Historical Society
from: Bicentennial Collection Photo Caption

Walter Robinson Post No. 450, American Legion, was founded September 28, 1922, by Sewickley Negro veterans of World War I. They named the Post in memory of Walter Robinson, who died January 21, 1921, and who, in 1922, was the only deceased comrade of their group.
Walter Raleigh Robinson ws born in Leetsdale, Pa., April 25, 1891, the youngest child of William C. and Maria McPherson Robinson. Both parents died while Walter was young, so he went to live with his oldest brother and sister-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Robinson. There he grew up with their children and was treated as a son.
On August 5, 1918, Walter Robinson entered military service in the United States Army and, in doing so, became one of the seventy-seven out of a population of eighteen hundred who went to the War from the Leetsdale area. A member of Co. K, 803rd Pioneer Infantry, he served in France. He was discharged at Camp Dix, N.J., July 5, 1919.
During his illness he was a patient at the Cresson Hospital, but he returned to Leetsdale, where he died in his brother's home.

Notes:From the book: Their Story The History of Blacks/African Americans in Sewickley and Edgeworth by Bettie Cole-- "The Sewickley Herald of January 29, 1921, reported that Robinson was gassed in France and contracted tuberculosis. The body of Walter R. Robinson lies in Grave #95, Section C in the Robinson Family lot, Sewickley Cemetery."

Additionally, the PBS program, History Detectives, did a piece in Episode 3, 2005" WWI Chemical War Map Baton Rouge, Louisiana, dealing with school teacher, Michelle Theriot's discovery of a map her late grandfather, Everett Daniel Theriot, had in his effects. He was part of the 508th Engineers Service Regiment, Company C, a company of African American Troops. The map centers on the area near the Moselle River, which was near the site of a critical battle in WWI. While Everett Theriot lived to the age of 96, 58,000 American Troops died during or as a result of injuries sustained in the War.
Additional information on this piece can be found at www.pbs.org/historydetectives .